Canada ends combat operations in Afghanistan By The Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — Canada has formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan after years of being on the front lines of the fight against Taliban insurgents in the south.

Canada is the sixth largest troop-contributing nation, behind the U.S. and European countries. While 2,850 Canadian combat troops are going home, 950 others have started streaming into the country to help train Afghan security forces.

Canada transferred its mission to the United States Thursday at Kandahar Air Field during a ceremony held in a hall decorated with Canadian maple leaf flags.

After remarks, handshakes and the exchange of military paperwork, troops held a moment of silence for their fallen comrades. Since 2002, 157 Canadian troops have been killed in Afghanistan.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A NATO helicopter crashed Thursday in eastern Afghanistan but no one was hurt, the U.S.-led coalition said.

The crew was recovered after the crash, which occurred in Parwan province. NATO said the cause of the incident was under investigation.

The Taliban claimed its fighters shot down the aircraft, but the coalition said that initial reports indicated no militant activity in the area.

Also in the east, villagers protested the deaths of civilians in a coalition airstrike earlier this week in Khost province.

The civilians were killed Tuesday during a fight between insurgents and an Afghan-led security force, which was searching for a leader of the Haqqani network, a militant group affiliated with the Taliban and al-Qaida.

A coalition helicopter was called to support ground troops, who were being hit with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. The coalition said the helicopter killed several of the insurgents and unintentionally, some members of the insurgents' families who were living with the fighters.

Gen. Raz Mohammad Oryakhail, an Afghan armycommander in Khost, said 13 people – including the Haqqani leader, six of his fighters and members of their families – were killed in the strike in Shamul district.