The Times
Jerome Starkey in Kabul

Sixteen Americans died in a series of helicopter crashes and Taleban attacks across Afghanistan in one of the bloodiest days since the 2001 invasion.

Ten people were killed and at least 26 wounded when a Chinook helicopter crashed in western Afghanistan yesterday during a pre-dawn battle with insurgents.

In Helmand province, in the south of the country, four soldiers were killed and two seriously wounded when two helicopters collided in mid-air, officials said. Two more soldiers died in separate incidents.The loss of life on Monday was the highest in a single day for US forces since 2005. It underlined the sense of crisis about the war in Washington, where President Obama chaired his sixth key Afghan strategy session yesterday in less than a month.

Mr Obama met seven of his most senior advisers in the White House Situation Room as reports emerged that he was leaning towards a hybrid strategy based on the successful troop surge used in Iraq two years ago, and that a decision could be announced before the run-off election planned for November 7th. (Read original)