Afghan military helicopter crashes, all five aboard die

KABUL, Sept 15 (Reuters): A helicopter carrying security forces crashed in western Afghanistan, killing all five people on board, including the pilot, officials said on Saturday, but ruled out a militant attack.

A wave of assaults by Taliban militants in recent weeks has forced Afghan and foreign forces to make far greater use of air transport to move troops and supplies, but inadequate training and poor planning have led to frequent crashes.

The latest crash was caused by technical difficulties rather than a militant attack, said Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the governor of Farah province, site of the accident.

"The helicopter crashed due to a technical issue, not due to Taliban fire," Mehri said.