[NYTr] Another US Chopper "Crashes," Another 5 US Troops Die

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Reuters - Aug 14, 2007 5:13 pm EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL1413629920070814

Five U.S. personnel killed in Iraq helicopter crash

10 Die in 2 Days; at Least 41 Occupation Troops KIA So Far in August

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Five U.S. service personnel were killed when a
military transport helicopter crashed during a routine flight west of
Baghdad on Tuesday.

The crash takes the death toll for the U.S. military to 10 in the past
two days.

The U.S. military said the CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed near its
al-Taqaddum air base outside Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad,
while conducting a "routine post-maintenance check flight".

There was no indication whether it was shot down. An investigation is
under way.

The deaths of the five on board the helicopter takes the total number
of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to
topple Saddam Hussein to at least 3,699.

So far in August at least 41 U.S. service members have died, compared
with a total of 71 for July.

The military said earlier three soldiers were killed in an explosion in
northern Nineveh province on Monday and another soldier died in combat
in Baghdad the same day.

Another soldier was killed in combat on Tuesday.

At least 11 helicopters have been shot down since the start of the war,
killing 35 service members. In the worst incident this year, 12
military personnel died when a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down on
January 20.

Seventeen soldiers were killed when two Black Hawks collided under fire
in northern Mosul on November 15, 2003, 13 days after a Chinook was
shot down near the same air base in Falluja, killing 16 U.S. troops on
board.

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