BBC Online :
A fatal helicopter crash in Afghanistan which killed all five UK personnel on board appears to have been a “tragic accident”, the MoD has said.
The Lynx helicopter came down in south of the country on Saturday.
Commander Joint Helicopter Command, Maj Gen Richard Felton, said it was a reminder of the risks UK troops still face as they withdraw from Afghanistan.
Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the men, whose families have been told.
Three of the soldiers and an airman were stationed in Hampshire. The fifth, an Army reservist, was based in London.
It was the first fatal accident of the Afghan conflict involving a UK military helicopter but the third biggest loss of life of British troops in a single incident in the country since the invasion in 2001.
Maj Gen Felton said: “At this early stage [it] would appear to have been a tragic accident.
“Events like this, whilst mercifully rare, remind us of the risks our personnel face in their work in Afghanistan as we approach the conclusion of the combat mission later this year. “Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.”
Mr Cameron said the incident “brings home to us all once again how our armed forces continue to put their lives on the line to help the people of Afghanistan. “I cannot pay high enough tribute to each and every one of them for the job that they do and the sacrifices that they make.”
Labour leader Ed Miliband said it was a “tragic and poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our armed forces in serving our country with bravery and distinction”.
Despite Taliban claims its fighters had shot the aircraft down, BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said sources had suggested the cause of the crash may have been “technical problems”.
She said the crash site – close to the border with Pakistan – had also led to speculation that the helicopter could have been taking part in a special forces mission.
A former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Col Richard Kemp, said: “The Taliban are masters of propaganda – they claim huge numbers of things that haven’t actually happened.
“Of course it’s a feather in their hat if they’ve managed to shoot down a British helicopter but if the MoD is saying, ‘It’s not been shot down, it’s a technical problem,’ then I certainly believe that.”
