Four dead in US helicopter crash

US troops are hunting Taleban members

A US army helicopter has crashed near the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing all four crew members.

The US military said the Black Hawk transport helicopter came down near Bagram air base outside the city at about 1700 GMT.

A spokesman for US Central Command in Florida said the cause of the crash was not clear.

"At this time this incident does not appear to be related to hostile action," the spokesman said.

The crash brought the greatest death toll for US troops in Afghanistan since last March, when seven were killed and 11 wounded in a battle with Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters.

The UH-60 helicopter and its crew were on a routine mission in an area known as the East Training Range, about 10 kilometres (six miles) east of Bagram.

Weather conditions around the capital have been poor for the last few days, with international flights into Kabul cancelled on Thursday.

The names of the dead have not yet been announced.

Combat role

The Black Hawk is considered to be one of the most important US combat helicopters.

Black Hawk: Familiar sight in the Afghan skies

The helicopter is normally flown by two pilots and a crew of two. It is designed to carry 11 air assault troops.

Seven German peacekeepers died in a similar incident before Christmas.

The engine in the helicopter they were travelling in overheated and the aircraft crashed into a house near Kabul airport.

That crash was blamed on the helicopter having been incorrectly reassembled after it was shipped to Afghanistan.

Bagram is the main base for US forces hunting Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters who remain in Afghanistan.

They are engaged in a major operation in the south-east of the country against forces believed to be Taleban.