Taliban extremist have claimed responsibility for the shooting down of the US military helicopter in the province of Helmand.
The location on the Shawal Manda area on Google Maps
This was reported on social media say on Friday, adding that all American soldiers were ‘’killed on the spot’’. According to the Kabul-based Watan Press newspaper, the incident occurred in the Shawal Manda area of Nad Ali district in Helmand province. This is the largest province in Afghanistan.
According to unofficial information from the social media, 4 soldiers were killed in the helicopter.
The photo, posted on Facebook by Kabul-based Watan Press paper, reportedly shows a targeted helicopter in Helmand Province.
Despite the reports, stating that the Taliban side has taken responsibility for the incident, the US army has reportedly denied the truthfulness of this information. US media quoted an unnamed military official, saying that initial reports indicate a Resolute Support helicopter had made hard landing in the province of Helmand, without any reports of casualties. The source also adds that investigation is going to follow.
Statistics show that the Taliban militants have increased their acts of violence against the Afghan forces and US-led forces recently.
To support this statement, the Afghan government says that in a separate development, its forces have killed nearly 40 militants. Among the killed soldiers there are Takrifi Daesh terrorists. The operation took place in various provinces across the country.
The problem with the Taliban occurred in Afghanistan in the early 1990s. After this, followed an invasion by the US in 2001. After this the Taliban re-emerged and now controls large parts of the country.
Despite the fact that Obama announced that the American troop presence will be reduced by the end of 2017, the Afghan population still observes a large number of casualties. For 2015 alone, there were reported 3,500 deaths and almost 7,500 injuries according to the February UN report.
Written by Yoana Manoilova for South Front