US coalition chopper crashes in Afghanistan

KABUL, Feb 18 (Reuters) A helicopter from the US-led coalition force in Afghanistan crashed today after reporting engine failure, the coalition said, but it did not say if there were any casualties.

A search for the helicopter and its occupants had been launched, the US -led force said in a statement.

It said the helicopter crashed in the southeast, but did not say where, what type of helicopter nor how many people were aboard. Some media reports said it was a Chinook, a twin-rotor craft used for ferrying troops and equipment.

Residents in the Shah Joy district of Zabul province, said the chopper crashed there. Taliban insurgents who are active in the southern province on the border with Pakistan, said they had shot down the aircraft down with a missile.

The Taliban have made claims in the past that were not substantiated. The last confirmed downing of a foreign helicopter by rebels was in 2005.

International forces have lost several helicopters since the Taliban were ousted in 2001, but the 2005 incident was the only confirmed case of hostile action.

That helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade as it came in to land during combat operation.

The Taliban have vowed a spring offensive as the snows melt in coming weeks and months after the bloodiest year since their ouster.

More than 4,000 people died in fighting last year.

REUTERS PB PM1117