Five Americans, a Briton and a Canadian died when a Chinook helicopter was apparently shot down in Afghanistan's most volatile province, officials said Thursday. The Taliban claimed responsibility, the Associated Press reported. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said other troops rushing to the scene were ambushed and had to call in air support to drive off their attackers. Initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade on Wednesday evening, said the U.S. official, who insisted on speaking anonymously because the crash was still under investigation. NATO said there were no survivors. «It was a hostile area, where the helicopter went down,» said Maj. John Thomas, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force. «Initial indications are that enemy fire may have brought down the helicopter.»
