Nine members of the Afghan security forces, including the pilot, three crew members, and five members of the special forces, were killed when the Mi-17 helicopter crashed in the Behsud district of Maidan Wardak.

According to the local source, the helicopter has been hit by a rocket while taking off.

An investigation has been launched into the incident; the defense ministry announced.

Afghanistan has seen a surge in violence as peace talks that started in September between the Taliban and the Afghan government have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough.

The majority of bomb attacks in Kabul in recent months have been sticky bombs, which are explosive devices with magnets attached to vehicles and detonated by remote control or timer.

Since 2001 when the United States invaded Afghanistan, over 100,000 people have been killed in the war, including more than 4,000 ISAF soldiers and civilian contractors, more than 62,000 Afghan national security forces, 31,000 civilians, and even more Taliban members. (ILKHA)