[dc-zoo]

Oh damn.. that's really bad news. Must have been ambushed.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Any word on if it was a helo crash or firefight, or IED?

[Ben Chad]

When will pull-out be announced?

[Khurkris]

Very possibly they were members of this group, Spaninsh Legion, formerly the Spanish Foreign Legion. A very tough group of excellent soldiers.

[NautiNurse]

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A helicopter belonging to the NATO-led international security force crashed in western Afghanistan Tuesday, killing 17 Spanish troops, officials said.

A second helicopter also made an emergency landing and an unspecified number of troops on board were believed to be injured, said Maj. Andrew Elmes, a spokeswoman for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul.

He said the cause of the crash and the emergency landing - both in the desert south of the western city of Herat - were believed to be mechanical failures. He did not elaborate.

In Madrid, a Spanish Defense Ministry official who asked not to be named said 12 soldiers and five crew died in the accident, but that the cause was unknown.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero broke off his vacation in the Canary Islands to return to Madrid and meet with defense ministry officials, the premier's office said.

Elmes declined to comment on the nationality of the troops or how many casualties there were. He said rescuers were on the site, recovering the dead and wounded.

"We do not think the helicopter crashed because of enemy activity. We think it was an accident. We think it crashed into the ground after a mechanical failure, but we are not sure and we are investigating," he said. "The second helicopter landed heavily. There are survivors from that helicopter."

He said both choppers were on a training mission to support legislative elections next month.

Afghan army commander Abdul Wahab Walizada said troops had been deployed to the area to provide security.

AP-ES-08-16-05 0735EDT

[StarCMC]

Oh no!! Prayers for the families of these heroes.

[MEG33]

May God comfort those who mourn..

[BykrBayb]

Prayers for the troops and their loved ones.

[bill1952]

Bad news. Brings back memories of the first time that I realized that Bernoulli wasn't my friend on these babies.

An airplane wants to fly.

A helo is a flying rock.

[armymarinemom]

Oh no! Prayers up for the families.

[La Enchiladita]

People forget how many countries we have in the Coalition, in both OIF and OEF, and how many soldiers they each deploy. Baghdad, for example, is a mini UN, with troops from everywhere.

[fatnotlazy]

May they rest in peace and may God comfort their families.

[MinorityRepublican]

Now is Spain going to withdraw all their troops from Afghanistan?

[Pro-Bush]

Damn!