Four dead in plane crash in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 9 (UPI) -- A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey plane crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing three soldiers and one civilian, NATO said Friday.

The CV-22, used in long-range infiltration and resupply operations, was carrying U.S. forces when it went down Thursday night but the cause was yet to be determined, NATO's International Security Assistance Force reported on its Web site.

Several more service members were injured in the crash 7 miles west of Qalat City in Zabul province, the report said. They were taken to a nearby base for treatment.

The CV-22's tilt-rotor system allows for vertical takeoff and landing like a helicopter. Once airborne, its engines roll forward allowing it to fly like a plane.