ISLAMABAD Nov 3: Taliban Ambassador Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef said their troops had shot down a US gunship helicopter in the Nawur mountainous area of Ghazni province.

The helicopter was on a rescue mission for another helicopter that had earlier crashed in the same region due to bad weather.

Giving details at a press briefing on Saturday, the envoy said that a gun-ship helicopter carrying commandos had crashed in the area covered by snowfall on Friday night, killing all on board.

When the Taliban troops came to know about another helicopter hovering the area, they rushed to the spot and shot it down, the ambassador said.

He explained that soon after the downing of the helicopter, the US aircraft started dropping bombs in the area in an apparent attempt to destroy what was left of the two helicopters.

He said that the Taliban troops had captured a long- range gun and a wireless set.

AFP adds: The ambassador said that seven US helicopters and planes had been shot down since the start of US air strikes in Afghanistan a month ago.