21/04/2005

No survivors in Iraq helicopter crash

A commercial helicopter has crashed just outside Baghdad, killing all nine people on board.

Three Bulgarian crew members and six passengers, whose nationalities are not yet known, died when the Russian-built MI-8 helicopter came down about 12 miles north of the Iraqi capital around 2pm local time.

It has been reported that the helicopter was shot down – Iraqi insurgents have frequently fired on US aircraft on Iraq and several helicopters have been shot down in the past.

In an unrelated incident, two foreigners were killed earlier today in a bomb attack on vehicles on the road to Baghdad Airport.

Yesterday, Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi survived an assassination attempt by a suicide bomber on his motorcade. Two police officers were killed in the attack, the fifth attempt to be made on Mr Allawi’s life.

(KMcA/GB)




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