Osprey Chopper Crashes in Afghanistan, Killing 3 US Soldiers and 1 Civilian

Three US soldiers and one civilian employee were killed when a US helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan.

Photo: Osprey Chopper Crashes in Afghanistan, Killing 3 US Soldiers and 1 Civilian

The helicopter, a CV-22 Osprey, crashed approximately 11km west of Qalat city in Zabul province late on Thursday night, the US-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said in a statement on Friday. Several other passengers were injured in the crash and transported to a nearby military base for medical treatment, Aljazeera reports.

It was the second time in less than two weeks that NATO aircraft have crashed in Zabul province, an impoverished and sparsely populated region that borders Pakistan. On March 29, a helicopter crashed in Zabul, injuring 14 people, including NATO and Afghan troops.

With more pressing military priorities elsewhere in southern Afghanistan, the American and Afghan soldiers left in Zabul have conceded some territory to the Taliban, who move freely in the province, The Washington Post says.