TALIBAN CLAIMS DOWNING OF US HELICOPTER IN AFGHANISTAN. NATO DENIES

A U.S. black hawk helicopter flies over the site of a Taliban suicide attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan on August 2. JAVED TANVEER/AFP/GETTY

On Wednesday, Bob Purtiman, a spokesman for the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, denied the Taliban’s claims about downing a US helicopter in Logar province in central Afghanistan.

“The Taliban’s claim to have shot down a U.S. helicopter in Logar Province is false,” Purtiman said.

However, Purtiman revealed that a US helicopter had some technical problem and it made a precautionary landing.

“A helicopter did make a precautionary landing for a maintenance issue. The aircraft has been successfully recovered,” Purtiman explained.

The Taliban claimed earlier that it downed a US helicopter in Logar province. Furthermore, the Taliban claimed that 20 US soldiers were killed in the attack.

The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said:

“As the American occupiers tried to airdrop a number of other American soldiers, the mujahedeen were able to target one of their helicopters with machine gun fire and shoot it down.“

Last time the Taliban downed a US helicopter in Afghanistan was in April 19 of 2012 when a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was downed in Helmand province. Since than theUS-led coalition has lost over 20 helicopter in Afghanistan, all due to technical problems, according to NATO.

The Taliban has been stepping up its attack on NATO troops in Afghanistan. The Taliban latest attacks are believed to be a response to US President Donald Trump’s new plans that include deploying more troops to Afghanistan.

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