Three killed in US military plane crash

A US military transport plane carrying 10 soldiers crashed on take-off in Afghanistan. Military officials said three soldiers were killed and another seven escaped with minor injuries.

The crash did not appear to have been caused by hostile fire, the Pentagon said.

The seven survivors, whose injuries ranged from a broken leg to cuts and bruises, were flown to a US base at Kandahar.

The Air Force MC–130 crashed on takeoff yesterday near the Bande Sardeh dam in Paktika province.

The MC–130 is a version of the propeller–driven C–130 cargo plane outfitted for special forces missions such as refueling helicopters and taking commandos into hostile territory. The four–engine plane is designed to take off and land on short, unpaved runways and can carry up to 77 troops.

A dozen US soldiers supporting the war in Afghanistan have been killed in airplane or helicopter crashes. On 9 January, seven Marines were killed when their KC–130 crashed into a mountain in Pakistan. The KC–130 is the refueling tanker version of the C–130.

Before yesterday's crash, 15 Americans had died in military aircraft crashes while supporting the US–led war in Afghanistan. Fourteen others have been killed in combat or hostile situations.