NUMBER 9

9th U.S. helicopter crashes in Iraq

[8th helicopter shot down]

Special report:Tension escalates in Iraq
　
A US helicopter lands on a clearing near Fallujah railway station, Nov. 9. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)Photo Gallery>>>　BAGHDAD, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. helicopter crashed in an area north of Baquba City, 65 km northeast of Baghdad, on Thursday, the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite TV channel reported.

The helicopter went down in a clash between gunmen and U.S. troops, the report quoted witnesses as saying, without specifying location of the crash.

If confirmed, it would be the ninth U.S. helicopter crashed or shot down by insurgents' fire since Jan. 20, which has killed 28 soldiers and civilians so far.

The incident came one day after the U.S. military announced a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by insurgent fire in the Nibaie area near the U.S. airbase of Taji, some 20 km north of Baghdad.

U.S. military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said that the initial indications appear that the helicopter was brought down by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
An Iraqi Islamic militant group called Jaish al-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the crash in a website statement whose authenticity could not be verified.

Editor: Han Lin

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