6 Die in Contractor Copter Crash in Afghanistan; 2 Marines Killed Separately

[tekisui]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan -- A helicopter flying under private contract to Western forces in Afghanistan crashed in volatile Helmand province today, killing all six civilians aboard.

Military officials also reported the deaths of two U.S. Marines in the same southern province, where the biggest U.S.-led military operation since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 is underway.

The downed helicopter was operated by a contractor working for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, Western military officials said. The contractor was not identified, and the nationalities of those aboard were not disclosed.

The Taliban claimed through a spokesman to have shot down the chopper, but such a claim is routinely put forth when any coalition aircraft crashes.

Insurgents have managed only in rare instances to bring down Western helicopters; weather or mechanical problems are more often found to be the culprit. ISAF said the cause of the latest crash was under investigation.

The Marines' deaths, which occurred Monday, were the result of "hostile activity," a U.S. military spokeswoman said, without providing any details. About 4,000 Marines are taking part in a push into the lower Helmand River Valley, where Taliban fighters in past years have operated freely.

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan15-2009jul15,0,2809044.story