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2 US Troops Killed In Afghanistan Helicopter Crash

Map of crash site in Afghanistan.
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Map of crash site in Afghanistan.

Two United States service members were killed today when their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, according to NATO International Security Assistance Force.

While NATO ISAF does not release the nationalities of member casualties, an anonymous senior U.S. official told the Associated Press the two people killed in the crash were American troops.

Afghan witnesses said the helicopter crashed in an agricultural field in the Pachir Wagam district in Nangarhar province:

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Shir Azam, a teacher who lives in a village near the site, said he heard a loud explosion, then saw the helicopter in flames as it plunged to the ground.

Then, he said, more helicopters came and American troops sealed off the site. He also said he heard nothing to indicate any shooting before the crash.
NATO ISAF reports there was no known enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

April has been a deadly month in Afghanistan. Nine Americans have been killed - three of them civilians - according to the A.P.