The FINANCIAL — A fighter jet crashed inside NATO’s largest base in southern Afghanistan on July 20 in the second major crash on the base in two days. The type of jet wasn’t identified by military officials, nor was the nationality of crew released.
The jet crashed inside Kandahar Airfield during takeoff at 7:20 a.m. Afghanistan time (0250 GMT), said Capt. Ruben Hoornveld, a spokesman for the NATO-led forcel, reported AP.
"There were two pilots who ejected and were taken to a military hospital inside the base for treatment. Apart from that there are no other casualties. No enemy fire was involved, the plane is still burning" Mohammad Aslam Yar, media advisor at Kandahar airbase said, according to AFP.
There was no indication that insurgent activity caused the crash, Ruben Hoornveld said, but officials could not immediately say why the plane went down. The jet caught fire and emergency personnel responded. Hoornveld said he did not know why two aircraft had crashed in Kandahar in two days as reported AP.
"Honestly I can't say, but from my personal view it's coincidence," he said.
Military officials did not identify the type of jet that crashed, nor did they release the nationality of the crew. Weather conditions were fair at the time of the incident, Paul Kolken, the spokesman at the airfield said, according to CNN. On July 18, a U.S. fighter jet crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing its crew of two. In addition, a civilian helicopter went down on takeoff from Kandahar airfield on July 19, killing 16 people, NATO said.
None of the aircraft were shot down, said the International Security Assistance Force — NATO's mission in Afghanistan. It did not announce the cause of any of the crashes, the same source reported.
AP gives information that earlier in July, two Canadian soldiers and one British trooper were killed in a helicopter crash in Zabul province. Officials said that crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire.
There are about 90,000 foreign troops, mainly US, British and Canadian, deployed in Afghanistan to help Kabul fight the Taliban insurgency since the 2001 US-led invasion ousted their regime according to AFP.
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