Iraq Air Crash Kills 31 Marines

Thirty-one marines have been killed in a helicopter crash in western Iraq, the US military has confirmed.

January 26, 2005
Associated Press
Dallas News

It is the single worst loss of life for US forces since they invaded Iraq in March 2003.

The aircraft, carrying troops from the 1st Marine Division, came down in bad weather near the Jordanian border, Pentagon sources told the BBC.

Last month, 22 people, including 14 US soldiers, died when an army base in the northern city of Mosul was bombed.


US HELICOPTER LOSSES IN IRAQ

15 Nov 03: Two Black Hawks collide while trying to avoid ground fire in Mosul, killing 17
2 Nov 03: Chinook shot down near Falluja, killing 16
8 Jan 04: Black Hawk shot down near Falluja, killing nine
9 Nov 03: Black Hawk comes down near Tikrit, killing six

The CH-53 transport helicopter went down at about 0120 local time (2220 GMT Tuesday) near the town of Rutbah. Search and rescue teams were sent to the area.

The US military took several hours to release any details of the suspected cause of the crash or the number of casualties.

Officials at the Pentagon in Washington said there was no indication of hostile fire.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "We are saddened any time there is loss of life where our troops are in harm's way. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen."

The crash comes amid heightened tension in Iraq, days before Sunday's election.

There have been a series of car bombings and other attacks across the country:

• At least five people are killed by three car bombs in the town of Riyadh, near the northern city of Kirkuk
  
  
• Insurgents attack party political offices in Baquba, north of Baghdad - at least one police officer is killed
  
  
• A video recording released by insurgents in the northern city of Mosul appears to show three captive Iraqis, who say they are election workers
  
  
• One person is killed and two wounded in car bomb explosion outside passport offices in Tikrit, police tell AFP news agency
  

This week, a senior US general said the US army expected to keep about 120,000 troops in Iraq for at least two more years.

Troop numbers were recently boosted to 150,000, to improve security during the Iraqi election.

The US has experienced several deadly helicopter crashes in Iraq.

Until this latest incident, the worst helicopter crash was on 15 November 2003, when two Black Hawks collided under fire over Mosul, killing 17 service personnel.

Just two weeks before that, a Chinook was shot down near Falluja, west of Baghdad, killing 16.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4209269.stm