In Baghlan Province, Burka District, Boorkeh city, Mujahideen claim they shot down a NATO/ISAF helicopter.  U.S. officials would only confirm that one of their ‘copters made a “hard landing”.  Mujahideen say it was a U.S. Chinook helicopter, and that 27 personnel on board were killed.  The district governor did say the U.S. forces were conducting raids in the area.

In Helmand Province, Nad-e-Ali District, an explosion killed three civilians.  When police showed up to investigate another bomb exploded.  Two cops killed, two wounded.  In Gerishk District, locals reported NATO/ISAF airstrikes killed three eight years old children.

In Kabul Province, Kabul city, a car being chased by police blew up.  The driver and two passengers killed.  Police say they recognized the driver as a wanted person.

In Herat Province, the three kidnapped employees of the Norwegian Refugee Council were freed. Local police say no ransom was ever demanded, and the hostages were released without any negotiating.

The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas, said peace talks will not show any progress until 2015.

Iran and Afghanistan have agreed to cooperate in fighting U.S. backed drug smuggling and terrorism: “A peaceful and stable Afghanistan can play an efficient role in the promotion of trade…”-Abbas Araqchi, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs

The United Kingdom announced that it wants to pullout 5200 Red Coats by the end of this year.  However, Defence Minister Philip Hammond said they will be prepared to send troops back into Afghanistan if “additional surges” were needed.

Former U.S. diplomat, Robert Blackwill, warned that Afghanistan could become a proxy war between India and Pakistan, after the 2014 NATO/ISAF pullout.