Five dead in Iraqi military helicopter crash
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Five crew members were killed when an Iraqi military helicopter crashed in Salahaddin province’s Tuz Khurmatu district early Thursday morning, Iraq’s security media cell announced.
“The Joint Operations Command mourns the five heroic martyrs … the crew of a Mi-17 helicopter, who were martyred during its fall near the vicinity of Amerli area, at 2:45 this morning at dawn while it was performing a combat mission,” the cell said on Thursday.
“The incident happened near a Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilisation Forces, PMF] base, we don’t know why it crashed yet but security forces have visited the scene,” Tuz Khurmatu mayor Hassan Zayd al-Abidin told Rudaw’s Hiwa Husamaddin on Thursday.
“An Iraqi air force delegation and investigation committee headed by the air force command are supposed to visit the area,” added the mayor.
“The Joint Operations Command mourns the five heroic martyrs … the crew of a Mi-17 helicopter, who were martyred during its fall near the vicinity of Amerli area, at 2:45 this morning at dawn while it was performing a combat mission,” the cell said on Thursday.
“The incident happened near a Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilisation Forces, PMF] base, we don’t know why it crashed yet but security forces have visited the scene,” Tuz Khurmatu mayor Hassan Zayd al-Abidin told Rudaw’s Hiwa Husamaddin on Thursday.
.@CJTFOIR expresses our deepest condolences to the family members of the #ISF helicopter crew who died when their helicopter crashed during a combat mission. We must not forget the valuable contribution they made to their country & impact they had on the #defeatdaesh mission.
— OIR Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto (@OIRSpox) July 29, 2021
“An Iraqi air force delegation and investigation committee headed by the air force command are supposed to visit the area,” added the mayor.