An ISAF report says: “An International Security Assistance Force rotary wing [helicopter] unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in northern Afghanistan today.”  ISAF does not believe it was shot down.  No further details.

Some speculate that since the drone was a helicopter that it might be what witnesses are calling a NATO helicopter crash, in Baghlan Province.  The province is under the control of Hungarian NATO forces.  No further details.

Also, ISAF confirms reports that U.S. led troops have been attacked and killed. As is SOP with ISAF they will not give out details, other than the attack took place in eastern Afghanistan on April 6.

ISAF says the current death toll for U.S./NATO/ISAF troops is at 104 since the beginning of this year.

On the morning of April 6, 2012, a peace negotiator and one of his sons were assassinated when a bomb exploded. A third person was also killed.  The explosion happened after Islamic Friday Prayers.  It happened in Kunar Province.

Major-General Stuart Smith, Commander of Australian Operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan, re-stated what USMC General John R. Allen said recently: ”This is a critical year.”

Australian forces are beginning to hand over control of AOs (Areas of Operation) to Afghan government forces. Currently Australian forces operate in Oruzgan Province (aka Urōzgān, Uruzgan or Rōzgān): ”This is a year that, if the Afghan government asks us to, we will start the transition of handing over security responsibilities in Oruzgan to the Afghan Security Forces.”

However, General Smith made it clear that such hand over to Afghan government forces did not mean Western forces were leaving: “….that challenge will go on for a little while yet, beyond 2014.”