US helicopter shot down in Iraq, seven believed dead

WASHINGTON (AFP) Apr 03, 2003
A US Army Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, leaving seven of the troops on board presumed dead, a Defense Department official said late Wednesday.

"There were 11 on board," the official said. "Preliminary reports say seven were killed."

The UH-60A Blackhawk troop transporter was apparently brought down by small arms fire near the city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad, he said.

The region was the site of heavy fighting Wednesday and early Thursday as US troops moved to within just 50 kilometres (30 miles) of Baghdad, surging north in a major offensive that Pentagon officials said had left Iraq's key Republican Guard divisions in tatters.

Iraqi forces tried to counterattack but were repelled by coalition forces.

Helicopters have been at the center of several deadly incidents during the war in Iraq.

Nineteen US and British servicemen were killed in the first two days of the conflict in helicopter accidents in the Gulf region.

Three Americans were killed and one was injured when a UH-1 Huey helicopter went down last Sunday.

The Iraqis claim to have shot down several Apache attack helicopters.

SPACE.WIRE