Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
January 3, 2016
Officials in Kabul say an Afghan National Army helicopter has crashed in the province of Logar to the south of Kabul, killing three Afghan soldiers.
Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said the Russian-built Mi-17 helicopter crashed on January 3 as a result of technical problems.
He said two other Afghan soldiers were wounded in the crash, which happened at about 1:30 p.m. Kabul time.
The U.S. government has been buying Mi-17 helicopters from Russia and refurbishing them to supply the Afghan National Army.
Afghan officials say the choice of the Russian-built helicopter over the U.S. Chinook cargo helicopter was due to the familiarity of Afghanistan’s technical crews and pilots with the Russian aircraft.
The Mi-17, which serves as a cargo ship that is fitted with guns, also is more suitable than a Chinook helicopter for operations in Afghanistan’s mountain regions.