Five Nato troops die after chopper crashes in Afghan

KABUL (AFP) - Five members of the Nato-led international force fighting in Afghanistan were killed in a helicopter crash in the south of the country, the coalition said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The cause of the crash is under investigation. However, initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time," it said following the incident on Monday.

The International Security Assistance Force does not release the nationality of casualties, but US, British and Australian soldiers operate in the south of Afghanistan, battling an Islamist insurgency.

Helicopter crashes are fairly frequent in Afghanistan, where the 100,000-strong Nato mission relies heavily on air transport.