Helicopter crashes in northern Afghanistan killing 3

At least three people were killed in Afghanistan on Sunday after a helicopter contracted by NATO crashed inside an army base.

The three killed include two Afghan soldiers and a foreign pilot, an Afghan soldier said.

The MI-14 helicopter crashed near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif due to a technical problem.

Following the crash, the helicopter had caught fire after hitting the ground.

Maj Hanif Rezaie, an army spokesman, says three others, including another foreign pilot, were wounded when the MI-14 helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from the base near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. 

Seven other security forces on board the helicopter were rescued. Rezaie was unable to confirm the nationality of the two foreign pilots.

(With inputs from agencies)