This year has been the deadliest year in the Afghanistan war after a helicopter crashed in Zabul province, Afghanistan, killing 9 soldiers and raising the 2010 death toll of NATO troops to 529. Last year 521 NATO troops were killed. Although the Taliban issued a statement assuming responsibility for the downed helicopter, a statement from NATO says that there is no evidence to support the Taliban’s claims. The incident is the deadliest NATO aircraft crash since a Chinook went down on October 26, 2009, killing 10 people.