KABUL, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that 31 members of the U.S. special forces and seven Afghan soldiers were killed in a NATO helicopter crash in east Afghanistan.
The incident happened Friday night in Wardak province, according to a statement released by the president office.
The Afghan president expressed his deep condolence and sympathy to U.S. President Barack Obama and the families of the victims over the tragic incident, said the statement.
However, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has yet to make comment.
Officials with ISAF press department avoided making comments by saying “We heard it from media but cannot confirm it.”
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Wardak provincial administration, Shahidullah Shahid, told Xinhua that a NATO helicopter crashed in Syed Abad district during a military operation Friday night.
On the other hand, Taliban outfit, according to local media, claimed responsibility, saying a helicopter was shot down by militants, leaving several people aboard dead.
The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the militant group announced spring offensive from May 1 against Afghan and NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan.
