Army helicopter crash in eastern Tajikistan kills at least 27

Army helicopter crash in eastern Tajikistan kills at least 27

2010-10-07 07:32:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

RASHT, TAJIKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least 27 people were killed on Wednesday when a military helicopter crashed in the Rasht District of eastern Tajikistan, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday.

The Russian-build Mi-8 helicopter, which is generally capable of carrying around 24 passengers and 3 crew members, crashed in the Rasht district on Wednesday morning. It belonged to the Tajik National Guard and was carrying both National Guard servicemen as well as service members from a special unit.

Officials in the Central Asian country only confirmed four of its soldiers had been killed and would not immediately confirm other fatalities. There were also conflicting reports on the cause of the accident, which happened in a volatile region.

The BBC reported that the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist Movement of Uzbekistan had claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft, while officials in the country said the chopper had either hit a powerline or experienced technical difficulty.

Tajik armed forces have been combating insurgents in the area of the crash where an assault on a military convoy last month claimed the lives of 28 soldiers.

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