The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has six American soldiers died, and one survived with injuries, in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The crash occurred in Southern Afghanistan in the Zabul province in the highest amount of American deaths in one situation the United States has dealt with in months, according to Reuters.
In a statement released by NATO, officials said "the cause of the crash is under investigation; however, initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time," and according to officials in Washington, authorities are investigating a problem with engine failure, the Associated Press reported.
According to U.S. defense officials, all six of the dead were soldiers in the U.S. Army and the soldier who survived the crash is being treated for injuries, Reuters reported.
Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Afghanistan due to the mountainous terrain where NATO still have 67,000 soldiers, 43,000 of which are American, according to Reuters.
Mohammad Jan Rasoolyar, the deputy of the Southern Zabul province where the crash occurred, also released a statement identifying the location of the crash, which U.S. officials later confirmed was the site of the accident, according to the AP.
After the crash, a Taliban spokesman took to Twitter and claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they shot down the helicopter, but according to Reuters the Taliban might just be taking responsibility for an attack it was not involved in as it has done in the past.
Reports show the death toll of American soldiers has dropped since the Afghanistan forces were handed back the reigns to rule, but 109 soldiers died this year so far, the AP reported.
Since the U.S. gave Afghanistan forces responsibility to handle the well being of those in the country last summer, the U.S. has continued to press for a security deal allowing U.S. troops to stay in Afghanistan well into the next year and past the date all soldiers were set to start heading home, Reuters reported.
