Helicopter crashes in northern Afghanistan, killing 3

KABUL – An Afghan official says a foreign pilot and two Afghan soldiers were killed when a helicopter contracted by NATO crashed inside an army base.

Maj. Hanif Rezaie, an army spokesman, says three others, including another foreign pilot, were wounded when the MI-14 helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from the base near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Rezaie says the crash was caused by a technical problem and the helicopter caught fire after it hit the ground. He says there was no enemy fire.

Seven other security forces on board the helicopter were rescued.

Rezaie was unable to confirm the nationality of the two foreign pilots.