Clashes in central Baghdad - residents(reports of helicopter making emergency landing)

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi troops backed by helicopters clashed with gunmen in central Baghdad on Tuesday and two residents said a helicopter appeared to have made an emergency landing after being shot.

A police source also said they had reports of a helicopter coming down in the area but it was not clear whether it belonged to the U.S. military or a private security firm.

A U.S. military spokesman said he was checking the report but had no information yet.

The clashes took place on the east bank of the Tigris river in the centre of old Baghdad.

A reporter working for Reuters said up to around 50 military vehicles were in the area, backed by several helicopters, and there was sustained gunfire.
more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PAR342011.htm

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Another FUBAR day

in Iraq.

[Eugene]

2. Reuters: Civilian helicopter said crashed in Baghdad

Civilian helicopter said crashed in Baghdad
23 Jan 2007 12:43:02 GMT
Source: Reuters

-snip-

BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Tuesday reports
that a helicopter had gone down in central Baghdad appeared to refer
to a civilian aircraft.

"No coalition forces aircraft are reported as down. Coalition forces are
investigating what appears to be a crashed civilian aircraft," a U.S.
statement said, responding to a query on reports of a crashed helicopter.

Some private security firms use helicopters to guard civilian convoys and
personnel in Iraq.

Residents in central Baghdad told Reuters earlier they saw a helicopter come
down and some said it had been shot first -- there were differing accounts
of whether it crashed or made an emergency landing. One resident said he saw
four bodies in the wreckage though there was no immediate confirmation of that.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L233714.htm

[maddezmom]

3. AFP: US investigating air crash in Baghdad

~snip~

"Coalition forces are investigating what appears to be a crashed civilian aircraft" in the Iraqi capital, a militery spokesman told AFP Tuesday

snip~

Up to nine aircraft including Apache attack helicopters circled the area for several hours, and heavy machine-gun fire was heard coming from the district.

The only aircraft authorised to fly above Baghdad are from the coalition forces, the United Nations, or private security contractors, several of which were present on Tuesday.

A US military spokeswoman declined to comment specifically on the operation, saying it was standard procedure to avoid putting the lives of US troops at risk.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070123/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestusaircraft_070123134954

[Captain Hilts]

4. How do we define 'civilian'? By who owns it, flies it or rides in it? nt

[spinbaby]

5. Mercenaries

Blackwater would be my guess.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Civilian helicopter said crashed in Baghdad

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2815563

The U.S. military said on Tuesday reports that a helicopter had gone down in central Baghdad appeared to refer to a civilian aircraft.

"No coalition forces aircraft are reported as down. Coalition forces are investigating what appears to be a crashed civilian aircraft," a U.S. statement said, responding to a query on reports of a crashed helicopter.

Some private security firms use helicopters to guard civilian convoys and personnel in Iraq.

Residents in central Baghdad told Reuters earlier they saw a helicopter come down and some said it had been shot first — there were differing accounts of whether it crashed or made an emergency landing. One resident said he saw four bodies in the wreckage though there was no immediate confirmation of that.

[Eugene]

7. AP: (Blackwater) Helicopter shot down in Iraq; 5 killed

Helicopter shot down in Iraq; 5 killed

By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer

10 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A helicopter owned by the private security firm Blackwater USA
crashed Tuesday in central Baghdad, killing five civilians on board, U.S. military
officials said.

A senior Iraqi defense official said the aircraft was shot down over a predominantly
Sunni neighborhood, but an American military official said there was no indication
the helicopter was shot down.

The Iraqi official, who would not allow use of his name because the information had
not been made public, said a gunman with a PKC machine gun downed the small
helicopter of a private security firm Tuesday afternoon over the heavily Sunni Fadhil
neighborhood in north-central Baghdad, where witnesses reported clashes between
insurgents and U.S. and Iraqi forces.

There were casualties, the official said, but would give no details.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070123/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq