14 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan

At least 14 Americans have been killed in a series of air crashes in Afghanistan, military officials say.

As BBC News informs, four US soldiers died and two were hurt when two helicopters collided mid-air in the south, Nato-led forces said.

In a separate helicopter crash, in western Badghis province, seven US soldiers and three US civilians died.

The US said hostile fire was not believed to be to blame for either incident, but the Taliban said it was behind the Badghis crash.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmedi told the AFP news agency militants had shot down the US helicopter in the Darabam district of the province.

Another 12 Americans and 14 Afghans were also reported to have been injured in that crash.