Two military helicopters collide in Afghanistan, 9 soldiers killed

Kabul

Two Afghan army helicopters, carrying wounded soldiers, collided on Wednesday, killing 9 soldiers on board. The mishap happened in southern Helmand province. The crash was due to technical problems, the army officials said.

Omer Zwak, a spokesman for Helmand’s provincial governor, said that over the past week, Taliban fighters have launched coordinated attacks in different parts of Helmand province, which have intensified in recent days.

Three local officials in Helmand province said the helicopters were deploying Afghan commandos to repel a Taliban attack in Nawa district and were evacuating wounded soldiers on their return flight. The Afghan officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media about military activities, reported Associated Press.