Helicopter crash kills three Afghan air crew

Technical failure caused the crash during a training exercise in Logar province

KABUL: An Afghan Mi-17 military helicopter crashed on Sunday after a technical failure during a training exercise, killing three air crew and wounding another in Logar province, south of the capital Kabul, the Defence Ministry said.

The Mi-17, a transport and attack helicopter, is the mainstay of the fledgling Afghan air force, which has around 50 of the Russian-made machines. Another 36 are used by Afghan Special Forces.



However, a Pentagon report has noted that the fleet was under heavy strain because of the constant operations it was required to conduct to support the army while it battled the widening Taliban insurgency.

Previously, an Afghan military helicopter crashed in Zabul province on August 6, 2015, killing 17 people aboard, according to officials. The crash claimed lives of 12 soldiers and five crew members.