(For related story see AFGHAN or [ID:nISL142142)

June 1 (Reuters) - Taliban fighters downed a NATO military helicopter which crashed in Afghanistan this week, the militant group said in an Internet statement.

Seven NATO soldiers were killed in the crash in Helmand province on Wednesday -- five Americans, one Briton and one Canadian, military officials said.

Here are the latest figures for foreign military deaths in Afghanistan since the Taliban government was toppled in 2001:

NATO/U.S.-LED COALITION FORCES:

United States 395

Canada 56

Britain 58

Spain 21

Germany 21

Other nations 40

TOTAL: 591

Last year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban in 2001 and violence is increasing this year.

More than 4,000 people were killed in fighting in 2006, a quarter of them civilians and about 170 of them foreign soldiers killed in fighting or in accidents while on patrol.

Sources: Reuters/icasualties (www.icasualties.org/oef)

AlertNet news is provided by