A US Chinook troop-carrying helicopter crashed during an anti-guerrilla operation in eastern Afghanistan today and the fate of those on board was not immediately known, the US military said.
A big US military Chinook helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan today was carrying between 15 and 20 American troops, according to preliminary reports, a US defense official said.
There was no immediate indication of the fate of the passengers or the cause of the crash, according to the US military. But an Afghan official said that a rocket was fired at the helicopter.
“A rocket was fired at an American helicopter in the district,” said the official in Kunar province, who requested anonymity.
In Washington, the US defence official, who asked not to be identified, cautioned at the Pentagon that early reports were sketchy from the rugged area near the border with Pakistan where the twin-rotor CH-47 went down.
“Reports indicate between 15 and 20 were aboard,” said the official.
Another Pentagon official, who also asked not to be named, said: “I wouldn't rule out anything.“
The crash occurred west of the city of Asadabad in Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, and the CH-47 was transporting troops into an area in support of US forces, the US military said in a statement.