Helicopter in Afghan hard landing, none hurt

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Mar 27 (Reuters) A helicopter made a hard landing in Afghanistan today but no one was hurt, an Afghan government spokesman said.

Nine people were on board the aircraft when it came down in the Spin Ghar district of the eastern province of Nangarhar after it developed a technical problem, said Interior Ministry spokesman, Yousuf Stanizai.

He said he did not know who the aircraft belonged to. The US military said the aircraft was not theirs.

''There have been no casualties. There were nine people on board but I don't know who they were,'' Stanizai said.

A provincial official said earlier the aircraft had crashed into a mountain.

REUTERS SY BST1731