US chopper down in Iraq
The Sea King is the fifth such crash in Iraq since January 20th
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Wednesday, 07, Feb 2007 06:03
The US military has confirmed that another transport helicopter, capable of carrying up to 29 people, has crashed near Baghdad.
Major General William Caldwell told gathered reporters that a CH-46 helicopter, otherwise referred to as a Sea Knight - similar to a Chinook, had been lost near the Iraqi capital.
Caldwell could not confirm the number of casualties or the number of people on board the helicopter, although some reports have quoted unnamed sources as saying that there were seven passengers onboard and all have been killed.
Caldwell confirmed that "a quick reaction force" had been called to the scene.
The crash is the fifth such aircraft to go down in the space of three weeks in the troubled country as joint Iraqi and coalition forces prepare for an offensive in Baghdad to curb insurgents who are stirring an escalation in violent clashes throughout the city.
The latest crashed helicopter is in an area to the north-west of the capital and despite the US military refusing to confirm if the incident was brought about by ground fire, responsibility for the crash has been claimed by a group with links to al-Qaida - the Islamic State in Iraq.
A statement on the group's website read: "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."
Many observers have predicted that violent clashes in Baghdad could descend into civil war unless more control can be established by the army presence and local authorities.