Spain probes 'attack' on helicopter in Afghanistan

NATO and Afghan authorities have said they think the Cougar helicopter ploughed into the desert near the western city of Herat because of an accident, but Spanish officials have not ruled out hostile fire.

"We all felt a strong impact, like an explosion, and our helicopter began turning until it fell to the ground," said a soldier who was among five injured in a second Spanish helicopter nearby.

"The others, the ones in front, must have been hit full blast," the anonymous soldier, who was interviewed by telephone by Spain's La Voz de Galicia newspaper, was quoted as saying.

A parent of one of the dead soldiers was quoted in the same newspaper as saying that they had received a call from the pilot of the second craft, saying the first helicopter was "fired on from the ground" and shot down.

The 17 Spaniards were on a training exercise for upcoming parliamentary polls when they died.

Major Andy Elmes, spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said Spanish forces were taking the lead on the investigation into the crash.

"We still believe it was an accident, we don't believe it was hostile fire," he added, saying that the exact cause of the crash had not yet been established.