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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| US helicopter crash kills seven | US helicopter crash kills seven |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A US Sea Knight helicopter has gone down near Baghdad, killing all seven crewmembers and passengers on board, the US military has said. | A US Sea Knight helicopter has gone down near Baghdad, killing all seven crewmembers and passengers on board, the US military has said. |
| It said the cause of the crash - the fifth such incident this year - was being investigated. | It said the cause of the crash - the fifth such incident this year - was being investigated. |
| It come three days after the US said ground fire apparently caused the four previous helicopter losses, which claimed 20 lives. | It come three days after the US said ground fire apparently caused the four previous helicopter losses, which claimed 20 lives. |
| The US has said it is modifying tactics and mission procedures as a result. | The US has said it is modifying tactics and mission procedures as a result. |
| A US military statement said the aircraft went down in western Anbar province while conducting routine operations. | A US military statement said the aircraft went down in western Anbar province while conducting routine operations. |
| Anbar province has long been a hotbed of insurgent activity, claiming more US lives than anywhere else in the country. | Anbar province has long been a hotbed of insurgent activity, claiming more US lives than anywhere else in the country. |
| 'Ball of fire' | 'Ball of fire' |
| In Baghdad, an Iraqi air force officer said the helicopter was downed by an anti-aircraft missile, the Associated Press news agency reported. | In Baghdad, an Iraqi air force officer said the helicopter was downed by an anti-aircraft missile, the Associated Press news agency reported. |
| Witnesses said they saw the helicopter go down amid gunfire from the ground, about 30km (18 miles) north-west of Baghdad, AP said. | Witnesses said they saw the helicopter go down amid gunfire from the ground, about 30km (18 miles) north-west of Baghdad, AP said. |
| RECENT HELICOPTER LOSSES 7 Feb: CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter goes down north-west of Baghdad, killing seven2 Feb: Apache helicopter goes down near US air base at Taji, killing two28 Jan: Apache downed while supporting Iraqi troops near Najaf, killing two 23 Jan: OH-6A helicopter used by private US security firm Blackwater crashes in Baghdad after coming under "heavy gunfire"; four civilians killed 20 Jan: Black Hawk goes down near Baghdad, with loss of 12 lives Questions mount over losses CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter | |
| "The helicopter was flying and passed over us, then we heard the firing of a missile," Mohammad al-Janabi, a farmer, was quoted by AP as saying. | "The helicopter was flying and passed over us, then we heard the firing of a missile," Mohammad al-Janabi, a farmer, was quoted by AP as saying. |
| "The helicopter then turned into a ball of fire. It flew in a circle twice, then it went down." | "The helicopter then turned into a ball of fire. It flew in a circle twice, then it went down." |
| A statement purported to be from an al-Qaeda-linked group called the Islamic State in Iraq, posted on a website used by Sunni militant groups, said it brought down the helicopter. | A statement purported to be from an al-Qaeda-linked group called the Islamic State in Iraq, posted on a website used by Sunni militant groups, said it brought down the helicopter. |
| "By God's grace, the downing of a helicopter of the crusaders was accomplished on Wednesday morning near the Karamah in Anbar province, leading to its destruction and the deaths of all those on board," the statement said. | "By God's grace, the downing of a helicopter of the crusaders was accomplished on Wednesday morning near the Karamah in Anbar province, leading to its destruction and the deaths of all those on board," the statement said. |
| Its authenticity could not be independently verified. | Its authenticity could not be independently verified. |
| Last month, 12 US soldiers died when a Black Hawk military helicopter crashed north-east of Baghdad, the deadliest such incident this year. | Last month, 12 US soldiers died when a Black Hawk military helicopter crashed north-east of Baghdad, the deadliest such incident this year. |
| The US has lost more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003. | The US has lost more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003. |