9 US soldiers killed in emergency helicopter landing in Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 09, 2004

9 US soldiers killed in emergency helicopter landing in Iraq

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A total of nine US soldiers were killed when a Blackhawk helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing near the volatile Iraqi town of Fallujah on Thursday, US Brigadier General Mark Kimmit said.

The 82nd Airborne Division responsible for the restive area reported that there were nine personnel on board and there were no survivors, Kimmitt told a press conference.

"We don't have positive identification of the personnel now, butwe are working under the presumption that they are all American soldiers," he added.

The general said the helicopter was on a routine mission when it made the emergency landing, but the cause of the incident was under investigation.

Earlier, a US spokeswoman said eight people were on board and atleast four of them were US soldiers.

She could not confirm if the helicopter was hit by hostile fire before making the emergency landing.

Insurgents equipped with surface-to-air missiles and rocket-propelled grenades have previously shot down US military helicopters, killing dozens of soldiers.

In the most violent single attack, 16 US soldiers were killed when a US Chinook transport helicopter was hit by a projectile and brought down near Fallujah on Nov. 2.

Earlier on Wednesday evening one US soldier was killed and 34 others were wounded in a deadly mortar attack on a US base west of Baghdad.

If confirmed caused by hostile fire, the deaths on Thursday would bring to 341 the number of US soldiers killed in action in Iraq since the US-led coalition forces attacked Iraq in March, 2003.

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