2 pilots killed in Afghan air force chopper crash

KABUL: Two pilots died after a military helicopter of the Afghan Air Force crashed in Afghanistan’s northern Samangan province on Sunday, Afghan Defence Ministry has confirmed.

“An MD-530 model chopper of the Air Force was on patrol mission when it struck a power transmission line in Khalm district of Samangan province at 09:00 a.m. local time today and crashed and resultantly two pilots were martyred,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement posted on its Twitter account.

In addition to launching an investigation into the accident, the Defence Ministry offered condolences to the bereaved families, Xinhua news agency reported.

-IANS