5 Nato troops die in Afghanistan helicopter crash
5 Nato troops die in Afghanistan helicopter crash
Five Nato troops have been killed after a UK helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.
Officials said they were investigating the circumstances of the crash but have not confirmed the nationalities of those on board.
The helicopter came down in Kandahar province. Enemy action was not suspected as a cause, officials said.
Nato forces are preparing to withdraw combat troops by the end of the year.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that a UK helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan today.
"The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further until families have been notified."
Fatal incidents involving foreign troops have declined as they prepare for the withdrawal.
However, such crashes have been relatively frequent over the years because coalition forces depend heavily on air transport.
The last major helicopter crash took place in December last year, when seven Americans and four Afghans died.
In August 2011, the Taliban shot down an American Chinook near Kabul, killing 30 Americans and eight Afghans in the deadliest single incident for US troops since the war began.