At least five Afghan National Army soldiers, including two pilots, were killed when an ANA chopper crashed in Farah province, local officials said Saturday.

The crash happened on Friday night at about 9pm in Khaksafid district of Farah province, Pajhwok news reported.

Pajhwok quoted Dadullah Qaneh, a member of the provincial council, as saying the crash happened in Ranng village.

He said the helicopter was heading to Farah from 207th Zafar Military Corps when it crash due to technical problems. </s> KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan official says at least four army personnel, all crew members of a military helicopter, have been killed when their aircraft crashed and caught fire in western Farah province.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, the provincial governor's spokesman, says two pilots and two sharpshooters died late Friday night when their chopper caught fire after an emergency landing in Khaki Safad district.

Mehri says the hard landing was caused by a technical problem but soon the chopper caught fire as it was loaded with ammunition.

He says he doesn't believe the incident was caused by enemy fire although an investigation is continuing.

The Taliban are in control of most areas in Farah province, especially Khaki Safad district. </s> KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan army helicopter crashed in southwestern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing 25 crew and passengers, provincial officials said.

Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the governor of western Farah province, said two army helicopters were on their way to neighbouring Herat province when one lost control.

He said the aircraft crashed in bad weather. A Taliban spokesman said the militants shot it down. </s> Officials say an Afghan army helicopter carrying senior officials has crashed, killing all 25 on board.

Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the governor of western Farah province, said two army helicopters were on their way to neighbouring Herat province when one lost control.

Among the dead were the deputy army corps commander for western Afghanistan and head of the Farah provincial council, Mehri said.

Provincial council member Dadullah Qaneh said the helicopter hit a mountain peak in poor weather en route to neighbouring Herat province.

A Taliban spokesperson said fighters belonging to the armed group shot it down.

Senior Afghan government and military officials often travel by helicopter in regions where the Taliban has a large presence. </s> An Afghan army helicopter carrying 25 people crashed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing all those on board, officials said.

The aircraft crashed due to "bad weather" in Anar Dara district, which borders Iran, Farah provincial governor spokesman Nasir Mehri said.

The Taliban claimed its militants brought it down.

Both pilots and 23 passengers were killed.

Among the dead were the deputy army corps commander for western Afghanistan and the head of the Farah provincial council, Mehri said.

Provincial council member Dadullah Qaneh said the helicopter hit a mountain peak in poor weather en route to neighbouring Herat province.

Senior government and military officials often travel by helicopter in regions where the Taliban has a large presence.

Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in the mountainous, war-torn country.

In September, an Afghan military helicopter carrying weapons and ammunition burst into flames during an "emergency landing" in Farah, killing at least four people.

Earlier that month at least 12 people were killed, including two Ukrainians, when a helicopter owned by a Moldovan company crashed in the northern province of Balkh.

The aircraft also was carrying munitions and exploded on impact, Afghan officials said.

Western forces have been rebuilding Afghanistan's air force, which was decimated by the civil war of the 1990s and the turbulent period of Taliban rule that ended in 2001.

NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan has been training pilots and ground controllers across the country as part of a modernisation effort.

US Forces' officials told AFP in February that Afghanistan's air force includes four C-130 transport aircraft, 24 C-208 supply planes, 24 Russian Mi-17 helicopters that will be replaced by 159 UH-60 Black Hawks, 12 A-29 Super Tacano attack planes, and 25 MD-530 attack helicopters. </s> At least five army personnel, all crew members of a military helicopter, were killed late Friday when their aircraft crashed and caught fire in western Afghanistan.

Ghafor Ahmad Jawed, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, said two pilots, two sharpshooters and an engineer died when their chopper caught fire after an emergency landing in Khaki Safad district in Farah Province.

 

 “The chopper was on its way from Herat to Farah when it crashed, killing five crew members,” he said.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, provincial governor's spokesman, said the hard landing was caused by a technical problem and the chopper caught fire because it was loaded with ammunition.

Mehri said he doesn’t believe the incident was caused by enemy fire although an investigation is continuing.

The Taliban are in control of most of Farah province, especially Khaki Safad district.

In northern Parwan province, a roadside bomb detonated Saturday near a military vehicle, killing four intelligence service members and a civilian, according to Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the provincial governor.

Shahkar said one military personnel and a civilian were wounded in the blast on the outskirts of Charakar, the provincial capital.

“There was a report of a bomb in a village and when the military personnel rushed to defuse it another roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle causing casualties,” she said.

 

 No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents are active in some areas in Parwan and there have been previous attacks against Afghan security forces there. </s> KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan army helicopter crashed Wednesday in bad weather in the western Farah province, killing all 25 people on board, including the deputy corps commander of the western zone, a provincial spokesman said.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the Farah governor, said the helicopter crashed around 9:10 a.m. (0440 GMT), shortly after taking off from the mountainous Anar Dara district heading toward the nearby Herat province.

On board were the corps commander, Gen. Naimudullah Khalil, and two members of the Farah provincial council, its chairman, Farid Bakhtawar, and Jamila Amini, one of only two women on the nine-member council.

Wednesday’s was the second army helicopter crash in as many months in Farah. In September, five crew members died when their helicopter crashed. Investigators blamed the crash on a technical failure, without elaborating.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a suicide bomber struck outside the country’s largest prison on the edge of the capital, Kabul, killing seven people, including prison workers and security personnel, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish. The attacker targeted a bus carrying prison workers, he said. The sprawling Pul-e-Charkhi prison houses hundreds of inmates, including scores of Taliban insurgents.

Abadullah Karimi, a prison official, said the attack occurred near the prison gate where visitors were waiting to pass a rigorous security check before entering.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. </s> An Afghan army helicopter crashed Wednesday in bad weather in the western Farah province, killing all 25 people on board, including the deputy corps commander of the western zone, a provincial spokesman said.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the Farah governor, said the helicopter crashed around 9:10 a.m., shortly after taking off from the mountainous Anar Dara district heading toward the nearby Herat province.

On board were the corps commander, Gen. Naimudullah Khalil, and two members of the Farah provincial council, its chairman, Farid Bakhtawar, and Jamila Amini, one of only two women on the nine-member council.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi claimed the insurgents had downed the helicopter but failed to provide evidence. Defense Ministry spokesman Ghafor Ahmad Jawed rejected the Taliban claim of responsibility as "totally wrong."

Wednesday's was the second army helicopter crash in as many months in Farah. In September, five crew members died when their helicopter crashed. Investigators blamed the crash on a technical failure, without elaborating.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a suicide bomber struck outside the country's largest prison on the edge of the capital, Kabul, killing seven people, including prison workers and security personnel, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish. The attacker targeted a bus carrying prison workers, he said. The sprawling Pul-e-Charkhi prison houses hundreds of inmates, including scores of Taliban insurgents.

Abadullah Karimi, a prison official, said the attack occurred near the prison gate where visitors were waiting to pass a rigorous security check before entering. The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant websites, said the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. </s> Afghan forces helicopters fly during an operation in 2017. File pic

Twenty-five people have been killed after an Afghan army helicopter crashed in bad weather.

The crash happened in the western Farah province, which borders Iran.

All 25 people on board were killed, including the deputy commander of the western zone, a provincial spokesman said.

General Naimudullah Khalil died alongside two members of the Farah provincial council, including chairman Farid Bakhtawar.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the Farah governor, said the helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from the mountainous Anar Dara district at around 9.10am (4.40am GMT).

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It was heading towards nearby Herat province.

Image: Afghan security forces arrive at the site of the suicide attack in Kabul

The Taliban claimed its militants brought it down, while provincial council member Dadullah Qaneh said the helicopter hit a mountain peak in poor weather.

Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in the mountainous country.

In September, five crew members died when their helicopter crashed. Investigators blamed the crash on a technical failure, but did not provide further explanation.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a suicide bomb attack took place outside the country's largest prison on the edge of the capital Kabul.

No one has claimed the attack which claimed the lives of seven people, including prison workers and security personnel, the interior ministry said.

The attacker targeted a bus carrying prison workers, he said.

The Pul-e-Charkhi prison houses hundreds of inmates, including a large number of Taliban insurgents.

Abadullah Karimi, a prison official, said the attack occurred near the prison gate where visitors were waiting to pass a rigorous security check before entering.
At least five Afghan National Army soldiers are killed in a helicopter crash in Farah Province, Afghanistan.