Aircraft

Fourteen people were killed in two separate accidents involving military helicopters in Afghanistan on 26 October, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has confirmed.

One coalition helicopter came down in western Afghanistan shortly after picking up personnel who had taken part in a raid on an insurgent compound suspected of being used to support narcotics activities. ISAF says seven US service members and three US civilians died in the accident, while a further 26 US and Afghan personnel were injured.

An investigation has been launched into the loss of the aircraft, but ISAF says that “the cause is not believed to be from enemy action”. It has yet to disclose the type of transport helicopter involved in the mishap.

NATO has also ruled out hostile action as having contributed to a suspected mid-air collision between two ISAF-operated helicopters the same day. Four US personnel were killed when the accident happened in southern Afghanistan, and another two coalition personnel were injured.