Afghanistan's Taliban claimed today it had shot down a Nato helicopter and killed 35 soldiers.
A Taliban spokesman said the twin-rotor Chinook was flying low ahead of a land vehicle convoy when it was shot down.
Nato said seven soldiers, five of whom were Americans, were killed when a Chinook crashed late yesterday in Helmand.
Chinook crashes in Afghanistan have killed at least 55 US soldiers in the last two years.
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Helmand has long been a Taliban stronghold and it is the leading drug-producing region of Afghanistan, the world's main heroin producer.
The Kajaki region where the Chinook came down is where Afghan government and foreign officials are hoping to oust guerrillas and rebuild a dam and hydro-electric project.