Four killed in downed chopper

2003-11-07 11:15

Tikrit, Iraq - At least four US soldiers died in the crash on Friday of an Army Black Hawk helicopter near the north-central city of Tikrit, the military said, based on preliminary reports.

A US officer on the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity said that six soldiers were killed.

It was not immediately known whether the aircraft went down due to mechanical failure or hostile fire, a spokesman said.

But another US officer who asked not to be named said there had been exchanges of gunfire near the Tigris River, and that two loud booms were heard before it went down at 09:40 on a riverbank about a kilometre from the US base in Saddam Hussein's former palace.

White smoke was seen rising from the wreckage and another Black Hawk landed near the site while an Apache attack helicopter hovered overhead.

"We don't know if it was a mechanical failure or hostile fire," Maj. Jocelyn Abel, speaking for the 4th Infantry Division, said.

Three US helicopters have been confirmed shot down in Iraq since President George W Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1.

A US Army Apache helicopter was shot down in June in the western desert, and the two crewmembers escaped injury.

On Sunday, a US Army Chinook helicopter was shot down near Fallujah, killing 16 people and injuring 26.

On October 25, a Black Hawk was shot down near Tikrit and one crew member was injured.

- AP