The crash took place in Shah Wali Kot district of southern Kandahar province, Afghan officials said. Australian Ministry of Defense said the cause of chopper crash is under investigation and they denied the crash was caused by Taliban fire. “All the wounded personnel have been evacuated from the incident site and are currently being treated at the Kandahar Role III Medical Facility”. Australian Ministry of Defense said.

Taliban spokesman claimed that Taliban shot the chopper in southern Kandahar province, a claim denied by International troops. It was one of the deadliest day for Australian forces serving in Afghanistan since the being of Afghan war in 2001. Australia has 1,500 troops in Afghanistan along side NATO forces.

Australians are based mainly in southern Uruzgan province and the recent fatalities of Aussies talk the number of Australia casualties to 16 since 2001. Meanwhile, joint Afghan and International forces detained two Taliban commanders during a search operation in Nad Ali district of Helmand province, a press statement of ISAF said.

ISAF identified the detained men the Taliban commanders who planned and conducted numerous attacks and supplied weapons in Nad Ali district of Helmand.Taliban did not comment about the incident yet. In separate incident, Six Afghan soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in different clashes with Taliban in southern and eastern Afghanistan, Afghan Ministry of Defense said.

Rahim Aria/LaSpecula.com

Photo: ISAF/NATO