US helicopters hit by enemy fire in Afghanistan

Two US helicopters that made emergency landings during a day of violence in volatile southern Afghanistan were hit by fire from insurgents, a US military official said today.

Five US soldiers and an Afghan army soldier were injured when the helicopters, both involved in the same combat operation, made hard landings yesterday. “Both helicopters received enemy fire,” said Lt. Col. Laurent Fox.

Fox said it was apparently the enemy fire that forced the helicopters to make emergency landings.

“Our early indications are showing that it was enemy fire that they received that … caused the hard landings,” he said. He praised the pilots for landing the helicopters after taking fire, saying they saved the lives of those aboard.

All six soldiers were treated and have returned to duty, Fox said.

It was unclear what kind of ammunition hit the two CH-47 Chinooks, he said. A purported Taliban spokesman claimed that the Taliban shot down one of the helicopters with a rocket, but he also claimed all aboard were killed.

Fox said that helicopter was badly damaged.

The purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammed Yousaf, often calls news organisations to claim responsibility for attacks, often with information that proves exaggerated or untrue. His ties to the Taliban leadership are unclear.