Contractor's copter missing in mountains

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 21:40

A HELICOPTER chartered by an international military contractor has disappeared in Afghanistan.

Supreme Global Service Solutions said last night that the helicopter had been contracted "to fly a cargo mission" in support of Nato and had gone missing in a mountainous region of Afghanistan on Monday.

Supreme provides food and logistics services to military bases across Afghanistan.

Police and international military forces were searching for the craft in Logar province's Kharwar district, provincial government spokesman Din Mohammad Darwirsh said.

He said they did not have any confirmation of a crash and no wreckage had been found.

Kharwar is in a remote area of Logar province south of the capital, Kabul. Until a few months ago, there was virtually no government or military presence there.

Meanwhile, authorities increased security in Kabul ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid, which starts today.

The Interior Ministry said 10,000 police were providing security around mosques, family gathering places and elevated areas overlooking the city, and it called on residents to report suspicious activity.