DUSHANBE, February 14, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Public funeral rites of crew members killed in a chopper crash in Afghanistan will be held in one of military units of the Ministry of Defense in Dushanbe.

Two officers from the Air Force and Air Defense Force of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of Tajikistan have departed for Afghanistan to investigate the cause of the helicopter crash that has taken place in southern Afghanistan.

We will recall that a source at a MoD told Asia-Plus on Monday that a Russian-made MI-8 transport helicopter belonging to Air Force of the Ministry of Defence of Tajikistan crashed in Zabul Province on February 11, killing all four onboard.   Those killed are members of the crew; among them is the son of Major-General Vyacheslav Grudyno, Deputy Minister of Defense of Tajikistan.

The helicopter had reportedly operated in Afghanistan since May 2011, shipping humanitarian cargo to Afghan mountain areas difficult of access.

According to some sources, the helicopter crashed due to bad weather.  

The bodies of the crew members will be transported from Afghanistan to Tajikistan within the next two or three days and the public funeral rites of them will be held in one of military units of the Ministry of Defense in Dushanbe, the source said.

Last year, two Tajik pilots of the Pamir Air company died in a plane crash in Afghanistan.