NATO 'copter crashes in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 5 (UPI) -- A military helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan Sunday, killing two NATO soldiers, the alliance said in a statement from Kabul.

The release by the International Security Assistance Force said the crash in the eastern province of Khost didn't appear to be the result of guerrilla activity.

However, China's Xinhua news agency said a spokesman for the fundamentalist Muslim Taliban insurgency group claimed its fighters had shot down the helicopter.

NATO didn't release the nationalities of the dead soldiers pending family notifications.

At least 220 NATO troops have been killed this year in the 10-year-old anti-insurgency mission in Afghanistan.