A Nato Black Hawk helicopter came down in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing seven American soldiers and four Afghans, the military said, as Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility.
The four Afghans included three members of the security forces and a civilian interpreter, Nato’s US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
“The cause of the crash is under investigation,” it said, adding that the helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk. The statement gave no further details.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi said: “Our mujahideen (holy warriors) shot down an ISAF helicopter in Chenarto area of Shah Wali Kot district in Kandahar province at around 11 a.m.”
He said a rocket-propelled grenade had been used.
“The helicopter was destroyed and all the crew and soldiers inside were killed.”
“The Nato helicopter was hit by a Taliban rocket in Khashir area of Chenarto village in Shah Wali Kot district this morning,” a local official who requested anonymity said.
The area had been cleared of Taliban in a push by Nato and Afghan forces in 2010, but insurgents had become active in the area again.
“Taliban have been active in Chenarto village since the beginning of this year.
“Afghan and foreign forces have had frequent clashes with the Taliban in this district since then,” said district governor Obaidullah, who uses just one name.
Helicopter crashes are fairly frequent in Afghanistan, where the 130,000-strong Nato mission relies heavily on air transport.
Last August, an American Chinook was shot down by the Taliban near Kabul, killing eight Afghans and 30 Americans, including 22 Navy SEALs from the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden in neighbouring Pakistan earlier that year.
It was the deadliest single incident for American troops in 10 years of war in Afghanistan.