Chopper hit by rebel fire in Afghanistan

KABUL (AFP) - A civilian helicopter was hit by insurgent gunfire in mountainous eastern Afghanistan on Monday, forcing it to make an emergency landing at a NATO military base, the alliance force said.

No one was injured in the incident in Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

"The helicopter made a landing at an ISAF base, in central Kunar, after taking machine gunfire from an unknown number of insurgents," ISAF said in a statement.

"The aircrew inspected the aircraft and found one bullet hole that did minor damage to the helicopter."

The chopper was contracted by the military, the force said without being able to immediately provide further information.

Insurgents battling the Afghan army and its international allies have shot at several military helicopters, most often missing.

But a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) brought down a Chinook helicopter in Kunar in June 2005, killing 16 US soldiers. The province has steep mountains on which insurgents are said to operate.

In another attack, seven ISAF soldiers -- all Americans except for a Briton and Canadian -- were killed in May 2007 when a helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan after apparently being struck by an RPG.

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