Insurgent Group Claims Responsibility

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 02.07.07 1630 EST: US military officials have confirmed seven crewmembers and passengers were killed when a Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter went down in Iraq's Anbar province Wednesday morning.

Army Major Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told reporters the helicopter went down about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad.

Caldwell would not comment on the possible causes of the incident. "The investigation is going on as we speak," he said, adding a quick reaction force team had arrived at the crash site.

ORIGINAL REPORT

The US military has confirmed a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter (file photo below) went down 20 miles northwest of Baghdad Wednesday with an unknown number of personnel aboard.

While officials won't say what caused the crash, they did say they believe there is enemy action in the area.

US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad, "A quick reaction force is on site and the investigation is going on as we speak."

According to a report by the Associated Press, an anonymous pentagon source said there were fewer than 10 people aboard the chopper, but the military has not released an official casualty count.

Caldwell wouldn't comment on the possibility enemy fire might have brought the aircraft down, but an Iraqi air force officer told the Associated Press it was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. An al-Qaeda-linked Sunni group has already claimed responsibility.

The downing comes at the start of a long-awaited security operation set to quell sectarian violence in the country's war-torn capitol according to Caldwell. The operation is to be led by Iraqi Lieutenant General Abboud Gambar who assumed responsibility from the US Army on Monday.

"Portions are already being put in place, and we'll continue to put more into place as the forces arrive and the assets become available," Caldwell said.

This is the fifth helicopter -- four military and one civilian -- to go down around Baghdad in recent weeks. The US military confirmed earlier this week the previous four crashes were all due to enemy activity.

Military leaders in Iraq have said they are altering tactics as regards the use of helicopters for combat operations.

FMI: www.pentagon.mil