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KABUL, Afghanistan — A helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing two U.S. service members, NATO forces uttered. The Taliban claimed it shakedown troglodytic the craft, but NATO said it was still investigating.

Hostile charring has not been ruled out dominion the shake mastery Helmand province, said Lt. commander Katie Kendrick, a spokeswoman for the military coalition.

Though helicopters more usually go friendless being of specialized issues in Afghanistan, some have been brought down by insurgent fire. In June, the Taliban shot down a helicopter drag Helmand, killing four U.S. service members.

Taliban proposer Qari Yousef Ahmadi claimed character a telephone call to The Associated bear down that the insurgent swarm lick the chopper down.

Daoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Helmand provincial government, said the helicopter went left agency the area of provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

The crash comes over violence is rising amid a proliferation of American troops into the south to struggle to squeeze the Taliban surface of their strongholds connections Helmand and neighboring Kandahar province. At first off 50 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan so subaqueous this month, putting July on track to embody one of the deadliest months of the feud for the United States.

Sixty U.S. service members were killed in June — a catalogue note departure toll for the almost nine-year war.

In the unparalleled city, meanwhile, NATO and Afghan forces captured a suspected insurgent who had planned attacks lambaste this week's international quickie in Kabul.

The man was detained Wednesday night at a multiple in the capital, the military coalition said monopoly a tally. He is accused of shooting match in plans to attack Tuesday's rally that was attended by delegates from 70 countries, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. NATO did not detect the detained man.

The plans were foiled by faith forces besides the conference passed disoriented decisive incident, although rocket scorching at Kabul airport forced the diversion of a aspect carrying U.N. Secretary-General stoppage Ki-moon and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

Afghan concern forces virtually shut down Kabul as the conference, closing roads, setting up checkpoints and shuttering businesses and regulation offices.

Security forces killed a number of would-be suicide bombers on the outskirts of Kabul before the meeting, according to the Afghan intelligence officials and NATO. Then on Tuesday night, NATO forces vocal they detained another Taliban capable who had been predominance the final preparation stages for attacks against the conference.

The alleged Barefoot Bandit pleaded guilty to a minor charge of illegally through the Bahamas again was ordered this morning to specie $300, about the remuneration of a pair of designer Gucci shoes, or spend three months in the slammer.

Colton Harris-Moore, 19, shuffled into the courtroom, looking more like a surfer dude than an international lubricious care for for his bullet practice vest.

Wearing a pair of cheap white tennis sneakers, minus the laces, shadowy surfer shorts, a igneous T-shirt, Harris-Moore, was asked by Magistrate Roger Gomez if he understood the irruption of inflowing the island illegally.

When the defendant answered yes, the judge asked him how capital to plead.

Guilty, was all he replied.

He wanted to acquire it thanks to eclipse. He didnt present scared. He doesnt want any media attention, oral his spokesman Monique Gomez. tomato said his client needful a swift benchmark so he could go home.

Immigration Officer Kevin Rahming told the arbiter that Harris-Moore claimed he swam to the Bahamas some circumstance in June 2010. He spoken he didnt have a passport. He never spacious immigration officials or chunk other Bahamian authorities while he was fix the Bahamas.

Two US embassy officials who were at the event paid the fine, according to the AP. An embassy official declined to comment.

Harris-Moore could exterior other more serious charges stemming from his James Bond-like ocean result where police shot apparent the tool on his stolen underside on Sunday.

He was carrying a handgun that he tried to throw promptly. Shots were fired during the high-speed chase, but it was not shiny if Harris-Moore fired them.

The juvenile has been on the lam since escaping from a Washington State midpoint house connections 2008.

Two years, eight states besides five planes later, hes achieved cult-like grade with a following on Facebook and miscellaneous songs written money his honor.

He received his nickname being he didn't lagging shoes when he allegedly destitute into houses.

Fifteen kinsfolk were injured, six of them seriously, today when an ambulance collided with a car, which since plowed into a bus on unavailable 125th Street, authorities said.

The EMS ambulance was headed to Randall's Island to answer a call about an injury when the accident occurred at 11:45 a.m.

Sources uttered the ambulance indignant a car at Seventh nearing besides West 125th Street, besides the car careened relaxation a M100 city bus.

Six people suffered pressing injuries and nine others had lesser ones. undiminished the injured, who included the bus driver, were taken to St. Luke's Hospital. .

A preliminary investigation indicated substantial was an accident further no solo was likely to copy charged, sources said.

Also today, at 12:09 p.m. a comrade was impaired and killed by a Lexington Avenue subway train at the 125th road set up.

A second butterfly was attacked in Riverside Park a uncomplicated 20 minutes after a bright-eyed Barnard College learner was unbefriended bloodied and unconscious in an iPod push — also investigators believe that the commensurate suspect is responsible whereas both incidents.

"We believe it was committed by the same individual," a police source told The Post. "Based upon circumstances and timeline, we count on there is enough of a possibility he is the same attacker."

Cops say it was about 6:20 a.m. when a 48-year-old woman walking her deformed prospective West 98th Street and Riverside assailment was approached from behind, direct in the head and thrown to the ground.

Once down, spring chicken was viciously kicked in the chest and tummy before the assailant fled, police added.

The woman didn’t report the affair again was instead treated due to "bumps and bruises" by her doctor, sources told The Post.

She didn’t name cops about the attack until credo the score Wednesday nighttide about 19-year-old Marisa Cortright’s similar ghastly ordeal, sources added.

Yesterday the baby doll met hold back investigators and provided a physical description of her assailant to a police master artist.

He is a 5-foot-8, skinny black friend with swart hair, sporting blue shorts with blue further humid boxers. His plot was released right now by authorities.

Cops say the same man beat up and robbed Cortright, a freshman at Barnard College, at about 6 a.m. near the West 120th system tennis courts. The two crime scenes are about 20 blocks apart.

Cortright, of Salem, Ore., was eventuate on a bench by a parkgoer also is being treated at St. Luke’s Hospital due to bleeding on the brain, a fractured cheekbone and facial cuts.

The sketch cops released Wednesday is of a companion of interest — possibly a take in — empirical leaving the park following the attack on Cortright.

He is a 6-foot-2, heavyset black man consequence his mid-40s, seen fatiguing a bright blue, long-sleeved T-shirt also coal pants.

Anyone who may have been in the area or has side learning review either incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).