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Helicopter Crash at Afghan Base Kills 16

By JASON STRAZIUSO

posted: 11 HOURS 35 MINUTES AGO

comments: 302

filed under: World News

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KABUL (July 19) — A Russian-owned civilian helicopter crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff at southern Afghanistan's largest NATO base Sunday, killing 16 civilians in the latest in a string of deadly aircraft crashes in the country.

A U.S. military helicopter also made an emergency landing in the country's east, causing several injuries. A military spokeswoman said there was no insurgent fire involved.

There were no indications that the crash of the Mi-8 helicopter at southern Kandahar Air Field was caused by hostile fire, military officials said. Sixteen people died in the crash, and five were wounded and were treated on the NATO base, said Capt. Glen Parent, a spokesman for the NATO-led force in Kandahar.

No military personnel were wounded or killed, NATO said. Parent said the helicopter burst into flames when it crashed near the runway only moments after takeoff.

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The Russian news agency Interfax said the Mi-8 was owned by the Russian air company Vertikal-T. It cited Russian charge d'affaires Andrei Vadov as saying there were no Russians among the 16 killed.

The Mi-8 helicopter can seat up to 24 people, Parent said. Civilian helicopters help ferry civilian contractors and supplies to small military outposts across Afghanistan.

In a second helicopter incident in the country's east, a U.S. military chopper made an emergency landing in Kunar province, the military said in a statement. U.S. military spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker said no enemy fire was reported near the helicopter.

Personnel on the helicopter were taken to a medical facility for treatment, but no other details were released.

The two incidents came after a spate of recent aircraft crashes in Afghanistan.

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed early Saturday in central Afghanistan, killing two crew members. U.S. officials say insurgent fire did not bring down the plane.

Last week, Taliban militants downed an Mi-6 transport helicopter in southern Afghanistan, killing six Ukrainian civilians on board and an Afghan child on the ground.

Earlier in July, two Canadian soldiers and one British trooper were killed in a helicopter crash in Zabul province. Officials said that crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire.

Elsewhere in the country, the Afghan Defense Ministry said 35 militants were killed during a joint operation by Afghan and coalition troops in the Shah Walk Kot district of Kandahar province early Saturday. The mission included the use of airstrikes, it said in a statement.

A spokesman for the ministry, Zahir Murad, said he did not know how defense officials knew that 35 militants had been killed, and there was no way to independently verify the number.

Also in the east, a suicide bomber attacked the Afghan-Pakistan border crossing at Torkham, killing a border police officer and a civilian, said Gen. Ayub Salangi, the provincial police chief of Nangarhar.

Militant violence has risen across Afghanistan in the last three years, prompting President Barack Obama to send 21,000 additional U.S. troops this year. Within months, a record 68,000 U.S. forces will be in the country.

U.S, NATO, and Afghan forces are working to provide security for the country's Aug. 20 presidential election, which Taliban militants have vowed to disrupt.

Gunmen killed a candidate for provincial council in Kunduz province Sunday as he was traveling to a campaign event, said Ahmad Sami Yawar, the spokesman for the provincial governor. Candidate Jan Mohammad and his driver died in the attack, he said.

Associated Press writer David Nowak in Moscow contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2009-07-19 07:16:38

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ROMEROP671

02:36 AMJul 20 2009

To my understanding most of the ones involved in 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia, why aren't we going after them instead of Afghanistan. I don't recall anyone from Afghanistan being involved i n 9/11.

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Hlnwlf1

02:12 AMJul 20 2009

Mareslaig 12:43 AMJul 20 2009 So who are these so-called civilian contractors?? Mercenaries? Soldiers of Fortune? Govt will not ID anyone. What where they doing aboard a Russian helo? With all of the skullduggery over there, nothing surprises me anymore. No sympathy for these types of people. They are simply there to make as much money as they can. Greed! The price one might pay someday while being there. They now have 16 new positions that need to be filled.<------------- THESE ARE MOST LIKELY KBR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. MOST LIKELY AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO WERE EITHER ON THEIR WAY HOME TO VISIT WITH FAMILY OR ON THEIR WAY BACK TO WORK. THEY ARE DOING A JOB THAT I WOULD SAY MOST LIKELY YOU ARE TO COWARDLY TO DO YOURSELF

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Hlnwlf1

02:08 AMJul 20 2009

MAY THE GOOD LORD BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU ALL. I HAVE LOST WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. FROM ONE CONTRACTOR TO ANOTHER AND THEIR FAMILIES THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE TROOPS.

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Fleetmacfritts

01:44 AMJul 20 2009

I want everyone to watch very, very close to the results of this GI's treatment, then I want you to tell me that water boarding, a little water up the nose, is a bad un-called for threatment. Like so much bull shit.............Wake up folks.........

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Chcgthornton

12:55 AMJul 20 2009

Yeah, aircraft just crash in Afghanistan. This war will be the prez without birth cert. quagmire, along with Iraq. And he promised to end Bushy's pc wars.

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Mareslaig

12:43 AMJul 20 2009

So who are these so-called civilian contractors?? Mercenaries? Soldiers of Fortune? Govt will not ID anyone. What where they doing aboard a Russian helo? With all of the skullduggery over there, nothing surprises me anymore. No sympathy for these types of people. They are simply there to make as much money as they can. Greed! The price one might pay someday while being there. They now have 16 new positions that need to be filled.

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TylerLCarter

12:23 AMJul 20 2009

What if it was some sort of remote weapon that uses radio waves or something similar to interfere with the air craft's controls?

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Seventheaven101

11:30 PMJul 20 2009

To many air crafts crashing, did anyone thing they could have been downed by a remote device? Something planted on the plane, then when it gets in the air, use the remote to blow them up.?

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FatherDJohnson

10:56 PMJul 20 2009

How much does an Afghan war cost?

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