14 British Troops Killed In Afghanistan

A NATO aircraft carrying 14 British servicemen crashed in Afghanistan, killing all on board. Officials are not saying what caused the crash, but the Taliban say they shot the plane down using a Stinger missile.

The crash came a day after fighting across the volatile south killed nine Afghan policemen, at least 13 suspected Taliban and a British soldier.

The "aircraft was supporting a NATO mission. It went off the radar and crashed in an open area in Kandahar" province, about 12 miles west of Kandahar city, said Maj. Scott Lundy, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

The British Ministry of Defense said the dead included 12 Royal Air Force personnel, a Royal Marine and an army soldier.

Lundy said "there was no indication of an enemy attack." He gave no other details, but an ISAF statement said the plane's crew reported a technical problem before going down. It also said that "enemy action has been discounted at this stage."

However, shortly after the crash, a purported spokesman for the Taliban, Abdul Khaliq, claimed responsibility. "We used a Stinger missile to shoot down the aircraft," he said.

Haji Eisamuddin, a local tribal elder, told The Associated Press by phone that the plane's wreckage was burning in an open field.

"I can see three, four helicopters in the sky, and coalition forces are also arriving in the area," he said.

Not a good thing whatever the cause.