By Xinhua,
Kabul : U.S. forces assigned to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) killed 12 militants on Monday while securing the site in Wardak province, where a Coalition helicopter was forced to land, said a statement of the U.S.-led Coalition forces released here on Tuesday.
A UH-60 Blackhawk came under small-arms fire from a number of militants in Wardak province, some 80 km west from Afghan capital Kabul, where helicopter crew returned fire but had to land when the tail was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, the statement said.
“Coalition ground forces responding to the scene were engaged by several militants in the area,” it said. “Five militants were killed in the initial fire exchanging.”
“Coalition forces continued searching the area and engaged with more militants killing seven more militants and detaining one,” it said.
However, there were no ISAF or Coalition casualties resulting from the attack, and all personnel were evacuated from the scene, it added.
Spiraling conflicts and Taliban-linked insurgency have left around 5,000 people with over 254 foreign troops dead so far this year in Afghanistan while Taliban insurgents have vowed to intensified assaults against interests of Afghan government and international troops before the coming winter.