BAGHDAD – An Iraqi army helicopter crashed during a routine flight on the 12th of November, killing all seven people on board, a military statement and Iraqi air force officers said.
The Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter went down near the southern province of Kut, the statement said. Two pilots and five army officers were killed, Iraqi air force officers told Reuters.
A technical malfunction caused the crash, the military statement said.
The crash comes as Iraq is carrying out a U.S.-backed campaign aimed at driving the Daesh terrorists from their last key stronghold in the country near the border with Syria.
The province is located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, far from the front lines of the war with the Islamic State group. Iraq is slowly rebuilding its air force, once one of the world’s largest, after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Post Your Comments