Security forces were today searching for nine civilians who were taken hostage after their helicopter made an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled area of eastern Afghanistan.
The aircraft came down in strong winds and heavy rain yesterday in a village in the Azra district of Logar province, south-east of Kabul and about 20 miles from the Pakistan border.
Taliban fighters quickly surrounded it and took all nine from the area. ISAF spokeswoman Erin Stattel said the coalition was assisting in the recovery of the helicopter but could not say whether the Taliban had forced it down. Coalition forces were also said to have joined the search for the hostages.
Logar deputy police chief Rais Khan Abdul Rahimzai said eight on the white helicopter used for supply missions were Turkish and the other an Afghan but a Turkish foreign ministry official in Ankara could not confirm this.
Mr Rahimzai said he did not know what kind of cargo the aircraft was carrying, where it was going, or whether it was working for Nato. He added that the helicopter was owned by a company called Khaorasan but could not say where it was based.
There are about 100 civilian helicopter flights across Afghanistan each day and they are a vital link for remote bases, carrying workers and supplies.
Numerous Western, Pakistani and Afghan hostages are being held in Afghanistan including US army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, 25, who has been a prisoner for nearly four years.
