NATO UAS down in Afghanistan

An unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the US-led NATO forces has crashed in volatile southern Afghanistan without causing any casualties.

The aircraft went down late on Wednesday in the Kharwar district of Logar Province, The Nation daily quoted the provincial administration spokesperson Din Mohammad Darwish as saying on Thursday.

The US-led military alliance has not confirmed the incident so far.

Taliban militants claim to have shot down several US-led aircraft and blown up a number of tanks in different parts of Afghanistan over the past months.

On Sunday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the militants had shot down a chopper belonging to US-led military forces in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar.

He added that the chopper was hit during an anti-militant offensive in the volatile region and several US-led soldiers were killed.

NATO and the United States have close to 150,000 troops in Afghanistan with 30,000 of them deployed in Helmand Province.

Roadside bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices, are by far the most lethal weapon Taliban militants use against foreign troops, Afghan forces and civilians.

The Taliban have concentrated their nine-year fight against the US-led forces in Afghanistan’s southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar.

Western public opinion is growing increasingly tired of the war. Civilian deaths caused by NATO and US attacks have also fueled tensions between President Hamid Karzai and his Western allies.

The American army has lost 1,395 soldiers since October 2001 when Washington invaded Afghanistan to eradicate Taliban and al-Qaeda linked militancy and bring stability and security to the country.