© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U.S. Military Helicopter Crashes In Iraq, Killing 7 People

Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters shown during Exercise Angel Thunder, in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, in 2010. A Pave Hawk crashed in Iraq on Thursday, killing seven people.
Mark Ralston
/
AFP/Getty Images
Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters shown during Exercise Angel Thunder, in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, in 2010. A Pave Hawk crashed in Iraq on Thursday, killing seven people.

Updated at 7:50 a.m. ET

A U.S. military helicopter crashed after hitting a power line in Iraq's western Anbar province, killing all seven personnel aboard, the Pentagon said Friday.

Officials said the crash of the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter occurred Thursday afternoon near the town of Qaim.

"All personnel aboard were killed in the crash," Brig. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga, director of operations, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a statement.

"This tragedy reminds us of the risks our men and women face every day in service of our nations," he said. "We are thinking of the loved ones of these service members today."

The statement said that "An accompanying U.S. helicopter immediately reported the crash and a quick reaction force comprised of Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition members secured the scene."

Names of the service members were being withheld until next of kin have been notified, it said.

NPR's Jane Arraf reports that Iraqi military officials believe that the helicopter went down due to a mechanical fault.

The Associated Press adds:

"The U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State insurgents in Iraq and Syria have an outpost in Qaim, which is located near the Syrian border. The anti-IS campaign accelerated through much of last year, as coalition and Iraq forces battled to take back a string of cities and towns.

"Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over IS in Mosul in July. In the following months Iraqi forces retook a handful of other IS-held towns including Tal Afar in August, Hawija in September and Qaim in October. In November, Iraqi forces retook the last Iraqi town held by IS — Rawah, near the border with Syria."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

David Welna is NPR's national security correspondent.
Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content