Afghanistan's Taliban claim downing of NATO helicopter

[unknownprince]

AFGHANISTAN'S TALIBAN CLAIM DOWNING OF NATO HELICOPTER



AGI News On - AFGHANISTAN'S TALIBAN CLAIM DOWNING OF NATO HELICOPTER

13:46 05 GIU 2011

(AGI) Khost - The Taliban claim responsibility for the alleged downing of a NATO helicopter in the eastern province of Khost.
The region borders with Pakistan. The claim was fronted by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. ISAF command have meanwhile confirmed the crash of one of its helicopters at an unspecified location in eastern Afghanistan and the death of two military. . .

[unknownprince]

Three NATO troops dead in helicopter crash, attack in Afghanistan

Three NATO troops dead in helicopter crash, attack in Afghanistan

• From: NewsCore
• June 05, 2011 8:53PM

Three NATO troops dead in helicopter crash, attack in Afghanistan | Herald Sun

TWO foreign troops died in Afghanistan when their helicopter crashed in the country's east, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has confirmed.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, however ISAF said "initial reporting" indicated there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash. No further details were released.
Meanwhile, a third troop was killed in southern Afghanistan during an "insurgent attack," ISAF added.
Some 130,000 US-led international troops are in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban-led insurgency.

[unknownprince]

Three foreign troops killed in Afghanistan

Three foreign troops killed in Afghanistan
(AFP)

5 June 2011
KABUL - Three foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan Sunday, including two who died when their helicopter crashed in the east, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
ISAF added that the cause of the crash was being investigated but there were no signs of enemy fire of in the area at the time.
In line with policy, ISAF did not give further details of the incident or reveal which country the dead troops came from.
Meanwhile in southern Afghanistan, another troop was killed “following an insurgent attack”, ISAF said.
The deaths in the south and east, which feature some of the worst battlegrounds in the Afghan war, came as US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Afghanistan for farewell visits to troops.
There are around 130,000 US-led international troops in Afghanistan fighting a Taliban-led insurgency which has lasted for nearly 10 years since a 2001 invasion brought down their Islamist regime in Kabul.
The casualties brought the foreign military death toll to at least 228 so far this year, according to independent website iCasualties.org.

[unknownprince]

Helicopter crashes in Afghanistan's east, two troops killed


Helicopter crashes in Afghanistan's east, two troops killed | Reuters










KABUL | Sun Jun 5, 2011 6:04am EDT

(Reuters) - Two service members from the NATO-led force in Afghanistan were killed when a helicopter crashed in a volatile eastern area on Sunday, the coalition said, with the Taliban claiming to have shot the aircraft down.
"I can confirm a helicopter has crashed in eastern Afghanistan," said British Major Tim James, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
"We have no indication of any enemy activity in the area at the time," he said.
ISAF soon after released a statement which said two service members had been killed in the crash. It gave no other details.
Most of the foreign troops fighting in the east are American, although there are also troops from other countries.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location that one of the Islamist group's fighters had brought the helicopter down in the Sabari district of eastern Khost province, not far from the Pakistan border, using a shoulder-fired rocket.
Residents in Sabari district said they saw a helicopter catch fire, with black smoke pouring from the aircraft before it crashed in a mountainous area of the district.
Khost and surrounding provinces have seen some of the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan in recent months as the Taliban and other insurgents push back against ISAF gains made in the south over the past 18 months.
Fighting across Afghanistan has spiked since the Taliban launched their spring offensive at the beginning of May.
At least 230 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, according to figures kept by independent monitor iCasualties: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Casualties and Reuters.
Of those, 57 were killed in May, the bloodiest month of the year for the NATO-led force. Another 13 have been killed in the first five days of June.
(Reporting by Paul Tait and Hamid Shalizi, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

[unknownprince]

NATO says a coalition helicopter has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 2 on boa

NATO says a coalition helicopter has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 2 on board

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/nato-says-a-coalition-helicopter-has-crashed-in-eastern-afghanistan-killing-2-on-board/2011/06/05/AGxD6RJH_story.html

By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, June 5, 4:41 AM


KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO says a coalition helicopter has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing two on board.

[unknownprince]

2 Killed in NATO Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan

2 Killed in NATO Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan

By RAY RIVERA

Published: June 5, 2011






KABUL, Afghanistan — Two NATO service members died when their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan Sunday, the latest in a string of crashes in recent weeks that remain under investigation.
A NATO spokesman in eastern Afghanistan said the helicopter in Sunday’s crash went down in the Sabari District of Khost Province, a mountainous area near the Pakistan border, where insurgent activity has been among the heaviest this spring. The spokesman said two crew members were airlifted from the site but provided no other details, including the nationality of the two who were killed.
The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, but NATO officials in Kabul said initial reports showed no hostile activity in the area.
“What our initial reports indicate is there was no insurgent activity in the area at the time,” said Maj. Tim James, a British Army spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. “But what we don’t want to do is state categorically the reason for the crash, which is under investigation.”
At least six coalition helicopters have gone down since April 24, resulting in five fatalities. NATO has not said what caused any of the crashes, and has not said whether they resulted from hostile action. Officials said it typically takes two months to investigate a crash and have declined to release any details before the investigations are completed.
In at least four of the crashes, NATO said there was no indication of enemy activity at the time.
So far the crashes do not appear to show a pattern, either with problems with the aircraft or a shift in enemy tactics, Major James said.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said insurgents were planting roadside bombs on Sunday aimed at NATO soldiers and vehicles in the village of Noori when an American helicopter flew close over head.
“This helicopter was flying at low altitude and wanted to target the mujahedeen,” Mr. Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location. “But before it could shoot at the mujahedeen, it was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.”
On May 30, an Australian Chinook helicopter crashed in the town of Tarin Kowt in the southern province of Uruzgan, killing one Australian service member and injuring five others. The Australian military said the crash was under investigation but ruled out enemy ground fire.
An American soldier died May 26 when a helicopter crashed in Paktika Province in eastern Afghanistan, and another died in a crash on April 24 in Kapisa Province, also in eastern Afghanistan.
Coalition helicopters were also forced to make what NATO described as hard landings on May 15 in the Panjwayi District in Kandahar Province, and again on May 29 in southern Afghanistan. No casualties were reported in either.
Hard landing is a term NATO uses for crashes in which the pilot does not lose control of the craft during the descent, however the difference in classification, officials say, can be a gray area.
Sanghar Rahimi contributed reporting from Kabul, and an employee of The New York Times from Khost.

[graveyardofempires]

i heard on press tv "americans cliamed it crashed due to technical failure".

[MDresden]

More and more are, it's probably our big push for new gear ASAP. I mean even our most basic of non-detection stuff on our planes is lightyears above most of the worlds detection systems lol.

[graveyardofempires]

^
technical failure?

[MDresden]

Yes, we are probably pushing out too much gear too fast...probably the contracting companies realize they better mine the "goldmine" before all the contracts dry up. Makes business sense.

[graveyardofempires]

^
so you are saying they are willing to sell you new gear so they arent repairing or taking care of current gear so they can be outdated and fall of the sky like flies?

what about the taliban the are claiming "we have shot down the helicopter and all the people inside were killed" ?

[MDresden]

Yes i'm saying that graveyard but not to such an extreme. What I'm saying is, they put out the gear as fast as possible and our own mechanics fix the said planes. However, a bolt can probably unfasten by itself totally in one flight and not be loose before takeoff or whenever checks are done (not part of a pilot crew.) Taliban always claim things. I personally was at a location that the enemy shot up and after we arrived it was said by the Taliban we shot up the place and the Taliban then paid (in american dollars) the citizens to say we were the ones. It was my last deployment however so the story if it still exists is a few years old.

[graveyardofempires]

^
taliban paid the civilians in american dollars ? to say that?
c'mon that sound too fishy,i thought you turned budhist.

[MDresden]

I didn't turn buddhist, I just learned that more and more afghans are turning to buddhism.

And yes, the Taliban pays everyone in american or pakistani currency...I believe.

[MDresden]

Why does that sound fishy? Few shops in Kabul even take Afghani anymore.