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Afghan crashes kill 14 Americans | Afghan crashes kill 14 Americans |
(about 2 hours later) | |
At least 14 Americans have been killed in a series of air crashes in Afghanistan, military officials say. | At least 14 Americans have been killed in a series of air crashes in Afghanistan, military officials say. |
Four US soldiers died and two were hurt when two helicopters collided mid-air in the south, Nato-led forces said. | |
In a separate helicopter crash, in western Badghis province, seven US soldiers and three US civilians died. | |
The US said hostile fire was not believed to be to blame for either incident, but the Taliban said it was behind the Badghis crash. | |
Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmedi told the AFP news agency militants had shot down the US helicopter in the Darabam district of the province. | |
Another 12 Americans and 14 Afghans were also reported to have been injured in that crash. | |
Col Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for the Nato-led force in Afghanistan, said the authorities were still investigating the incident in Badghis, but "do not believe that enemy action was responsible". | |
He said the crash happened as troops were carrying out a successful anti-drugs trafficking operation in which 14 "enemy fighters" were killed. | |
The exact location of the crash in the south of the country has not been confirmed by the US military. | |
This year has seen the highest death toll of international troops in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001. | This year has seen the highest death toll of international troops in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001. |
There have been dozens of American soldiers among those killed, making up more than half the total foreign troop deaths in the country. | |
The worst single loss of US life in Afghanistan occurred in June 2005, when a Chinook helicopter was shot down in eastern Kunar province, killing 16 military personnel. |