Five killed in British Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan

The incidents came just two weeks after the resurgent militant group overran the key northern city of Kunduz, their biggest military victory in 14 years of war.

The helicopter crashed Sunday while landing at the NATO headquarters in Kabul, the military coalition said, ruling out any militant activity behind the incident.

"The (crash) resulted in the death of five Resolute Support (NATO) personnel and the injury of five others," it said in a statement, without revealing their nationalities, AFP reported.

The defense ministry in London confirmed that two British Royal Air Force personnel were among those killed, adding that an investigation had been launched into the crash.

The latest deaths bring to 456 the total number of British forces, personnel and defence ministry civilians killed serving in Afghanistan since it joined the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.

The crash came just hours after a Taliban suicide car bomber struck a British forces convoy in central Kabul, wounding at least three civilians including a child, Afghan officials said. No British casualties were reported.

The British defense ministry confirmed their convoy came under attack and said the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device.

The rush-hour bombing caused a powerful explosion in the capital, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and littering the area with charred pieces of twisted metal.

The Taliban captured Kunduz city for three days last month, in a stinging blow to Afghan forces, who have largely been fighting on their own since the end of NATO's combat mission in December.

The Afghan government claims to have wrested back control of Kunduz city but sporadic firefights continue with pockets of insurgents as soldiers, backed by NATO special forces, conduct door-to-door clearance operations.