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| Taliban claims responsibility for killing five Nato troops in Afghanistan helicopter crash | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Five Nato troops have been killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. | Five Nato troops have been killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. |
| The Taliban claimed to have shot down the aircraft, which an Afghan official said crashed in the province of Kandahar. | |
| The military coalition said in a statement it was investigating the circumstances of the incident on Saturday morning but gave no further details. | The military coalition said in a statement it was investigating the circumstances of the incident on Saturday morning but gave no further details. |
| Zia Durrani , a spokesman for Kandahar police, said the helicopter went down in the Takhta Pul district, about 31 miles from the Pakistani border, but did not know the cause of the crash. | |
| A Taliban spokesman sent a text message to journalists claiming that the insurgents shot it down. | |
| “Today, the mujahedeen hit the foreign forces' helicopter with a rocket, and 12 soldiers on board were killed,” Qari Yousef Ahmadi said. | |
| The insurgents frequently exaggerate death tolls in their attacks and have falsely claimed responsibility for other attacks. | |
| The names and nationalities of the troops have not yet been released and the Ministry of Defence could not confirm whether any were British. | The names and nationalities of the troops have not yet been released and the Ministry of Defence could not confirm whether any were British. |
| A statement is expected later today. | A statement is expected later today. |
| Seven troops from the international force have been killed in Afghanistan this month. | Seven troops from the international force have been killed in Afghanistan this month. |
| Nato is preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of 2014 and transfer responsibility for the ongoing struggle against the Taliban to the Afghan army and police. | Nato is preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of 2014 and transfer responsibility for the ongoing struggle against the Taliban to the Afghan army and police. |
| The last major helicopter crash in the country killed seven Americans and four Afghans in December last year. | The last major helicopter crash in the country killed seven Americans and four Afghans in December last year. |
| Violence has increased in the country as the withdrawal approaches and through the period leading to the elections on 5 April. Preliminary results of the vote were due later on Saturday. | Violence has increased in the country as the withdrawal approaches and through the period leading to the elections on 5 April. Preliminary results of the vote were due later on Saturday. |
| Two Americans killed in a shooting at a hospital in Kabul earlier this week have been named as Jon Gabel, a health clinic administrator and his visiting father, Gary. | Two Americans killed in a shooting at a hospital in Kabul earlier this week have been named as Jon Gabel, a health clinic administrator and his visiting father, Gary. |
| The vice chancellor of Kabul University, Mohammad Hadi Hadayati, said that Mr Gabel's wife was wounded in the attack on Thursday, when an Afghan police security guard opened fire as the family entered the grounds of Cure International Hospital. | The vice chancellor of Kabul University, Mohammad Hadi Hadayati, said that Mr Gabel's wife was wounded in the attack on Thursday, when an Afghan police security guard opened fire as the family entered the grounds of Cure International Hospital. |
| The family was visiting pediatrician Dr Jerry Umanos, from Chicago, who was also killed. | The family was visiting pediatrician Dr Jerry Umanos, from Chicago, who was also killed. |
| Additional reporting by Associated Press |