25 killed in Afghan army helicopter crash: Officials

HERAT

An Afghan army helicopter carrying 25 people crashed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing all those on board, officials said.    

Naser Mehdi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the helicopter crashed around 9:10 a.m. (0440 GMT), shortly after taking off from the mountainous Anar Dara district heading toward nearby Herat province.

He added that the passengers included the deputy corps commander of Afghanistan's western zone and the head of the Farah provincial council.

The Taliban claimed its militants brought down the helicopter in Farah province’s Anar Dara district.

Earlier on Wednesday, a suicide bomber struck outside the country's largest prison on the eastern edge of the capital Kabul, killing seven people, including prison workers and security personnel.