KABUL – Two American service members have been killed in a helicopter crashin Afghanistan, US forces there said Wednesday, adding that the crashappeared to be an accident, though the Taliban claimed they had shot itdown.

A statement from US Forces Afghanistan said the crash on Wednesday wasbeing investigated, “however preliminary reports do not indicate it wascaused by enemy fire”.

It did not reveal the crash location and said it was withholding the namesof those killed until next of kin could be told.

The Taliban claimed they had shot the helicopter down in Charkh district ofLogar province at 1:00 am.

“The Americans wanted to raid a mujahideen base, but their helicopter wasshot down and caught fire. All on board were killed,” their main spokesman,Zabihullah Mujahid, said.

There have been 19 combat-related US deaths in the country so far thisyear, according to a spokesman for US forces. Roughly 13,000 US troopsremain in Afghanistan, 18 years after Washington invaded in the wake of theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks.

US President Donald Trump has been eager to withdraw, but General MarkMilley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told US media this monththat American forces are likely to remain “for several more years”. -APP/AFP