http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?storyID=2007-02-07T200851Z_01_MAC927789_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-1.xml
By Dean Yates
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - All seven crew members and passengers aboard a U.S.
Marine helicopter were killed when it came down near Baghdad on
Wednesday, the fifth such aircraft to crash in Iraq in less than three
weeks, the U.S. military said.
The cause of the crash in Anbar province, heartland of the Sunni
rebellion, was under investigation. But witnesses reported seeing the
Sea Knight transport helicopter in trouble during gunfire from the
ground, and an al Qaeda-linked group said its "air defense brigade" had
shot it down.
The four previous U.S. helicopters were shot down. The U.S. military,
concerned that militants have changed tactics or are using more
sophisticated weapons, said on Sunday it was adjusting its tactics.
Including Wednesday, 28 U.S. servicemen and private security contractors
have been killed in the five separate helicopter crashes in less than
three weeks.
"We can confirm there were seven casualties. We are still looking into
the cause of the aircraft going down," U.S. military spokeswoman
Lieutenant-Colonel Josslyn Aberle said.
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