14 Americans killed in series of helicopter crashes

US authorities ruled out hostile fire in the collision but have not given a cause for the other crash. The Taliban say they shot down a helicopter in Badghis province of northwestern Afghanistan but it was unclear if this is the same incident.

The helicopter involved in a mishap in western Afghanistan went down during an operation by Afghan and international forces in which a dozen militants were killed,the military said.

US military spokeswoman Elizabeth Mathias said hostile fire or other insurgent activity was not believed to be the cause,but they were still looking into all possibilities. She said that a recovery operation was under way.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmedi claimed Taliban forces shot down the helicopter in Badghis province’s Darabam district. Badghis is in the northwest of the country. This has been the deadliest year for international and US forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban. Fighting spiked around the presidential vote in August,and 51 US soldiers died that month,the deadliest for American forces in the eight-year war.

More than 30 American troops have died so far in October. The deaths come as US officials debate whether to send tens of thousands more troops to the country and the Afghan government scrambles to organise a November 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and his top challenger from an August vote that was sullied by massive ballot-rigging.

President Barack Obama’s administration is hoping the runoff will produce a legitimate government. Another flawed election would cast doubt on the wisdom of sending more troops to support a weak government tainted by fraud.

Karzai and his rival,former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah,have both ruled out a power-sharing deal before the runoff,saying the second round of balloting must be held as planned to bolster democracy in this war-ravaged country.

Meanwhile,security forces in Kabul fired automatic rifles into the air for a second day today to contain hundreds of stone-throwing university students angered over the alleged desecration of a Muslim holy book,the Quran,by US troops during an operation two weeks ago in Wardak province.

Firetrucks were also brought in to push back protesters with water cannons. Police said several officers were injured in the mayhem. US and Afghan authorities have denied any such desecration and insist that the Taliban are spreading the rumor to stir up public anger. The rumour has sparked similar protests in Wardak and Khost provinces.

Yesterday,the students in the capital burnt an Obama effigy and chanted slogans such as “down with Americans,down with Israel” as they marched from Kabul University to the parliament building,where riot police turned them back.