KANDAHAR (voa) – U.S. forces in Afghanistan have used helicopter gunships to pursue unknown assailants who attacked a U.S. base in Kandahar.
Three attackers were seen fleeing in a vehicle when the helicopters took to the air to join the fight. No casualties were reported on either side and the base has been secured.
U.S. forces detained seven men after the attack, but later released them when it was discovered they are members of the U.S. backed Afghan security unit and not part of the force that attacked the base.
The base at Kandahar houses thousands of US troops serves as a detention center for al-Qaida and Taleban prisoners. It is the second time it has been attacked in the last month. Also Wednesday, a U.S. soldier was killed at Bagram air base in a heavy equipment accident. And in a remote region of Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force cargo plane crashed, injuring the eight crew members on board.
The U.S. Central Command, which directs the war in Afghanistan, says the cause of the crash is not yet known, but it does not appear to be the result of hostile fire.
