Associated Press
BAGHDAD--Islamic State group militants shot down an Iraqi
military helicopter, officials said Saturday, killing the two
pilots on board and raising fresh concerns about the extremists'
ability to attack aircraft amid ongoing U.S.-led coalition
airstrikes.
The attack happened late Friday in the Shiite holy city of
Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. A senior Defense Ministry
official said the Sunni militants used a shoulder-fired rocket
launcher to shoot down the EC635 helicopter on the outskirts of the
city.
An army official corroborated the information. Both spoke on
condition of anonymity as they weren't authorized to speak to
journalists.
The EC635, built by Airbus Helicopters, is used for
transportation, surveillance and combat.
The militants shot down at least two other Iraqi military
helicopters near the city of Beiji in October. Some fear the
militants may have captured ground-to-air missiles capable of
shooting down airplanes when they overran Iraqi and Syrian army
bases this summer.
European airlines including Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Air France,
U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines and Dubai-based Emirates changed their
commercial flight plans over the summer to avoid Iraqi
airspace.
The Islamic State group holds about a third of Iraq and
neighboring Syria in its self-styled caliphate.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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