KABUL: At least five army personnel, all crew members of a military helicopter, were killed late on Friday when their aircraft crashed and caught fire in western Afghanistan.

Ghafor Ahmad Jawed, Afghan Defence 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 on Saturday near a military vehicle, killing four intelligence service members and a civilian, according to Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the provincial governor.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018