25 killed in Afghan helicopter crash

An Afghan army helicopter carrying 25 people crashed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing all those on board, officials said.

The aircraft crashed due to "bad weather" in Anar Dara district, which borders Iran, Farah provincial governor spokesman Nasir Mehri said. The Taliban claimed its militants brought it down.

Among the dead were the deputy army corps commander for western Afghanistan and the head of the Farah provincial council, Mehri said.

an official said the helicopter hit a mountain peak in poor weather en route to neighbouring Herat province.

In another development, a suicide bomber targeting a bus carrying employees of Afghanistan's biggest prison killed at least seven people yesterday, officials said.

Another eight were wounded in the blast at the entrance to the facility in Kabul, which police spokesman Basir Mujahid said had hit a vehicle that staff of Pul-e-Charkhi prison were travelling in.

Among the casualties were police officers guarding the main gate and prison staff. The attacker was on foot, a source said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, but the Islamic State group (IS) has claimed most suicide attacks in Kabul in recent months.