Crashed Brit Chinook destroyed to keep it out of Taleban hands

Kabul, Aug.21 (ANI): British troops have lost a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan after it was hit by ground fire and destroyed by a NATO bomber to keep it out of Taleban hands.

The Chinook was hit by small arms fire as it was taking off north of Sangin, in Helmand province.

A Special Forces unit had disembarked with their kit only minutes earlier, but when it lifted off with its four-man crew on board, it came under attack.

The engine burst into flames and the crew had to fight the controls to make an emergency landing.

"They managed to fly the Chinook forward 500m to reach a safe area before landing it," The Times quoted the Ministry of Defence, as saying in London.A second Chinook, which was following, picked the crew up. None of the four was hurt.

The "unrecoverable" helicopter was still on fire and a decision was taken to destroy it to prevent Taleban fighters from seizing any of the equipment on board.

A NATO bomber was called in and dropped a 500lb bomb on the wreckage. (ANI)