Afghan Military Helicopter Crashes, Killing 17

AN Afghan official says a military helicopter has crashed in the country’s south, killing 17 people, including five pilots.

A police official at the site of the crash in Zabul Province said 12 Afghan soldiers and five crew members died in the August 6 incident, which happened in the Shinkay district. “It was not an insurgent attack, it crashed due to technical difficulties”, a senior army commander in southern Afghanistan told AFP on condition of anonymity. The Taliban often exaggerate battlefield gains.

IHS Jane’s World Air Forces notes that prior to the loss of this aircraft the AAF fielded 62 Mi-17 helicopters to serve as the primary rotary-winged logistics platform for the ANSF, the first of which arrived in 2012.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the accident in a statement, saying it would release details on casualties later.

While the Afghan Air Force is heavily reliant on global aid and remains a small force, deadly crashes are rare.

Col. Brian Tribus, a spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, which trains and aids the Afghan security forces, said no coalition servicemembers were on the flight.

The Taliban insurgency is now in turmoil, following confirmation of the death of its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

The chopper crashed on the same day as a Taliban suicide truck bomber blew up tonnes of explosives near a provincial council office in Afghanistan’s Logar province, killing at least 8 people.

The acrimonious power struggle has cast a pall over a fragile peace process aimed at ending Afghanistan’s long war.