Army helicopter crashes in Armagh

Several members of the North's security forces were injured tonight when an Army helicopter crashed in South Armagh.

It went down in a field close to the border village of Crossmaglen.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesman said the helicopter, believed to be a Lynx, crashed close to the Foxfield Road shortly before 6pm.

A number of casualties were taken from the scene to hospital. The spokesman said their conditions were not known but it is believed they included both soldiers and police officers.

The extent of the injuries of the casualties was not immediately known, but sources said there were not thought to be any fatalities.

The Army is due to pull out of the security base in Crossmaglen at the end of the month as part of the normalisation process but those working in the base are currently still ferried into and out of the base by air.

The cause of the crash was not known, but there was high winds and driving snow in many areas of the North throughout the day.

Local Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy said the helicopter had come down close to a densely-populated Lismore Park area.

Mr Murphy, MP for Newry & Armagh said while details were unclear, it was apparent that a serious incident had occurred.

"It is apparent that there may have been loss of life or serious injury, although early indications suggest that no civilians have been injured," he said.

A spokesman for the PSNI said a number of those on the helicopter had suffered serious injuries.

However it was believed none of the injuries would prove life-threatening.

It was confirmed four of the injured were taken to the Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry and two to the Craigavon Area Hospital – one by helicopter.

Meanwhile a unionist politician claimed youths in the nationalist village attacked an ambulance taking injured from the scene and also attacked police.

Newry & Armagh Assembly member Danny Kennedy, deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, branded the actions of those responsible as “despicable” and called on Sinn Féin representatives to exercise community responsibility in the face of such incidents.

Mr Kennedy said: “Youths in the area fired stones and threw fireworks at a crew of the emergency services who were attending the scene and also attacked the security personnel in the area with similar missiles as they were attempting to deal with the situation.”

Three of the police officers taken to hospital following the crash were released after treatment, the PSNI said tonight.

However, the fourth was detained in hospital having suffered a serious back injury.

The two military air crew members taken to hospital also remain there. The extent of their injuries were still not known.

Meanwhile police confirmed that ambulance crews removing the casualties from the scene came under attack by local youths throwing stones, fireworks and snowballs.

Similar attacks were made on police officers on the ground. There were no reports of casualties.