UPDATE 1 -- NATO helicopter crashes in southern Afghanistan, killing 6

UPDATE 1 -- NATO helicopter crashes in southern Afghanistan, killing 6

2012-01-20 11:49:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- Six coalition service members were killed on late Thursday evening when a helicopter belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) crashed in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Friday.

The accident happened around midnight local time when a CH-53 helicopter went down in Helmand province, which is home to mostly British troops. ISAF confirmed six of its service members were killed, but gave no details about their nationalities.

NBC News reported that the victims are believed to have been U.S. Marines.

It was also not immediately known what caused the accident or how many people were on board, or if any ISAF service members were injured. "The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash," an ISAF spokesperson said.

Earlier this week, three crew members were killed when a U.S.-owned helicopter crashed in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province. The aircraft was conducting operations for the U.S. Department of Defense, although it was not part of the NATO-led force.

In August 2011, 30 U.S. and 8 Afghan service members were killed when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in the Tangi Valley of Wardak province. The incident represented the highest number of U.S. forces killed during a single event since the U.S.-led war began in late 2001.

A report released by U.S. Central Command in October 2011 confirmed the crash was caused by an insurgent-fired rocket-propelled grenade which struck the CH-47's aft rotor-blade as the aircraft approached its landing zone. The investigation found no evidence of a pre-planned ambush.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-20