Post by Admin on Feb 21, 2007 12:43:54 GMT -6
U.S. Military Investigates Reports of Helicopter Downed in Iraq
Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. military said it's checking into reports that a Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq today.
``We are looking into these reports,'' the military said in an e-mailed statement.
The Arabic-language television channels al-Arabiya and al- Jazeera cited witnesses as saying a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in northern Baghdad.
Six U.S. helicopters have been downed in Iraq in the past month, prompting the Defense Department to study whether insurgents are developing new tactics against the aircraft. Five other U.S. helicopters crashed between Jan. 20 and Feb. 2, killing 21 people. Three were military helicopters and two were operated by U.S. contractors, the Pentagon said.
Black Hawk down north of Baghdad - U.S. military
BAGHDAD, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. Black Hawk helicopter with nine people on board went down north of Baghdad on Wednesday, the military said.
A statement from the U.S. military said all nine were evacuated and there were no serious injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Iraqi police captain Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said he saw some type of projectile hitting the helicopter before it came down in a rural area known as the Line, 30 kilometres north of Baghdad.
"I saw a ball of fire hitting the aircraft and smoke coming out of the helicopter as it came down," Mashhadani told Reuters.
Major-General William Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman, told a news conference the helicopter had made a "hard landing", without giving more detail.
Insurgents have shot down seven helicopters in Iraq since Jan. 20, killing 28 people, mainly American soldiers. Five of those helicopters were U.S. military aircraft and two belonged to a private American security company.
The incidents have questions about whether insurgents are using new tactics, such as studying aircraft flight patterns, or have acquired sophisticated weaponry.
U.S. commanders have said one reason they believe insurgents had focused on helicopters was to try to undermine a security crackdown in Baghdad that began last week.
Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. military said it's checking into reports that a Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq today.
``We are looking into these reports,'' the military said in an e-mailed statement.
The Arabic-language television channels al-Arabiya and al- Jazeera cited witnesses as saying a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in northern Baghdad.
Six U.S. helicopters have been downed in Iraq in the past month, prompting the Defense Department to study whether insurgents are developing new tactics against the aircraft. Five other U.S. helicopters crashed between Jan. 20 and Feb. 2, killing 21 people. Three were military helicopters and two were operated by U.S. contractors, the Pentagon said.
Black Hawk down north of Baghdad - U.S. military
BAGHDAD, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. Black Hawk helicopter with nine people on board went down north of Baghdad on Wednesday, the military said.
A statement from the U.S. military said all nine were evacuated and there were no serious injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Iraqi police captain Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said he saw some type of projectile hitting the helicopter before it came down in a rural area known as the Line, 30 kilometres north of Baghdad.
"I saw a ball of fire hitting the aircraft and smoke coming out of the helicopter as it came down," Mashhadani told Reuters.
Major-General William Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman, told a news conference the helicopter had made a "hard landing", without giving more detail.
Insurgents have shot down seven helicopters in Iraq since Jan. 20, killing 28 people, mainly American soldiers. Five of those helicopters were U.S. military aircraft and two belonged to a private American security company.
The incidents have questions about whether insurgents are using new tactics, such as studying aircraft flight patterns, or have acquired sophisticated weaponry.
U.S. commanders have said one reason they believe insurgents had focused on helicopters was to try to undermine a security crackdown in Baghdad that began last week.