MAZAR-I-SHARIF – At least 12 people were killed, including two Ukrainians,when a helicopter crashed in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, Afghan andforeign officials said.

The aircraft, owned by a Moldovan company, was carrying 14 people including11 members of Afghan security forces when it crashed in the northernprovince of Balkh, the Moldovan aviation authority said in a statement.

The two Ukrainians killed were crew members, the statement said. A thirdUkrainian crew member survived the crash.

An Afghan security source confirmed the death toll. Another Afghan securitysource put the death toll at 13, with only the foreign pilot surviving theaccident.

The helicopter was carrying munitions and exploded on impact, burningbodies “beyond recognition”, the Afghan sources said.

Afghan officials earlier put the death toll at three.

The helicopter crashed due to “technical problems” shortly after taking offin Dehdadi district, Nazer Khuda Pamiri, deputy commander of Afghan forcesin northern Afghanistan, told AFP.

It was transporting Afghan security forces from a military base to thevolatile northwestern province of Faryab.

The helicopter caught fire after it hit the ground, Pamiri confirmed.

Defence ministry deputy spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said the helicopterbelonged to a private company and had been hired by the ministry. – APP/AFP