KABUL, Afghanistan, March 16 (UPI) -- A NATO helicopter, apparently Turkish, crashed in Afghanistan Friday, killing 12 people in the aircraft and at least four on the ground, police said.
Witnesses said the helicopter burst into blames after striking a house in the Bagrami district on the outskirts of Kabul, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
Rescuers were searching the rubble on the possibility there were more victims, officials said.
Officials in Turkey confirmed that one of its helicopters had crashed but did not provide other details.
"Twelve [coalition] service members died following a helicopter crash in Kabul province today. The cause of the crash is under investigation ... initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash," said a NATO statement issued from Kabul.
Turkey has more than 1,800 troops deployed to Afghanistan, mainly in and around Kabul. Its mission is limited to patrols and its soldiers don't participate in combat operations.
