KABUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Eleven people have been killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, including three U.S. soldiers and four other foreign troops, the NATO-led coalition force in the country said on Thursday.
The cause of the crash, which Afghan authorities said was in the Shah Wali Kot district of southern Kandahar province, was under investigation, the International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.
"The crash resulted in the deaths of four International Security Assistance Force service members, three United States Forces-Afghanistan service members, three members of the Afghan National Security Forces, and one Afghan civilian interpreter," ISAF said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter, although the insurgency often exaggerates its victories and is quick to claim responsibility for any incident involving foreign troop deaths.
The area where the helicopter went down is an insurgent hotbed and supply route, lying north of Kandahar city near volatile Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.
The Taliban shot down a CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter in August 2011, killing all 38 people on board, including 25 U.S. special operations soldiers. (Writing by Rob Taylor; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Ed Lane)