Crash of U.S. helicopters kills 12
Sat 15 November, 2003 19:57
By Seb Walker
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Twelve personnel from the U.S.-led occupation forces have been killed and nine wounded after two American Black Hawk helicopters crashed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a U.S. Army spokesman says.
One of the helicopters was hit in the tail by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG), a U.S. officer at the scene said on Saturday.
The helicopters came down in a residential area, although one ambulance driver said there were no civilian casualties.
Witnesses said the helicopters collided mid-air.
"Initial reports say there were 12 killed coalition personnel in action and nine wounded," said the military spokesman, speaking in Baghdad.
He had no details on nationalities of the victims. The two Black Hawks were attached to the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division and crashed just after dark.
"I know one of the helicopters was hit by an RPG on the tail wing," said a U.S. officer in Mosul, who declined to be identified.
Sirens wailed and U.S. soldiers kept reporters away from the scene. A rapid reaction force secured the area and was investigating, military officials said.
Local resident Mohammad Badran said the two helicopters collided after an explosion.
"I was watching TV when I heard a large explosion," he said. "I looked outside the window and saw two helicopters. One was flying low and was on fire. The other was higher up. The first one climbed and hit the higher one. They crashed in separate areas."
FRONTLINE CHOPPER
The Black Hawk is the U.S. Army's frontline utility helicopter, designed to carry 11 combat-ready assault troops, and is also used for medical evacuations.
The U.S. military said the helicopters crashed in the west of the city at approximately 6:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m.).
Three U.S. helicopters have been shot down in Iraq in the past three weeks for an overall loss of 22 lives.
In the deadliest single strike on American troops since the start of the war to oust Saddam Hussein, a U.S. Chinook helicopter was shot down west of Baghdad on November 2, killing 16 soldiers.
Five days later a U.S. Black Hawk was shot down near Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, killing all six people aboard.
On October 25, guerrillas brought down a Black Hawk in Tikrit, hitting one of its engines with an RPG. The helicopter made an emergency landing and all five crew members escaped before it was engulfed in flames.
Insurgents now mounting some 30 attacks a day have killed 160 U.S. soldiers in Iraq since U.S. President George W. Bush declared major combat over on May 1. U.S. forces in Baghdad have hit back with "Operation Iron Hammer" for the past three days, using air strikes to destroy buildings they say were used by insurgents. |
