31 Marines killed in Iraq helicopter crash

A US Marine helicopter transporting troops crashed in Iraq’s the desert of western Iraq, killing 31 people, American military officials said.

It was the deadliest crash of a US military helicopter in Iraq.

Four Marines were also killed in combat in western Iraq today. The four were killed in action “while conducting combat operations against enemy forces,” a military statement said.

The four were killed in the vast western Anbar province, home to the volatile cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, the statement said.

A Pentagon source said the helicopter was a CH-53 Sea Stallion, which is normally configured to carry 37 passengers, but can take up to 55. There was no immediate word on how many people were on board or what caused the crash.

The military officials did not specify the nationalities of those on board or say how many were soldiers.

It was the biggest loss of life in a helicopter crash in Iraq – and could be the deadliest single incident for American forces since the US-led invasion in March 2003.

The helicopter went down about 1:20 a.m. near the town of Rutbah, about 220 miles west of Baghdad, while conducting security operations, the military said. The aircraft was transporting troops from the 1st Marine Division.

A search and rescue team has reached the site and an investigation into what caused the crash is underway, the military said.

Previously, the deadliest incident involving US troops was the November 15, 2003, crash of two Black Hawk helicopters that collided while trying to avoid ground fire in Mosul, killing 17 US soldiers and wounding five.

Earlier that month, a Chinook transport helicopter was shot down by shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile near Fallujah, killing 16 American soldiers and wounding 26.

The US military has lost at least 33 helicopters since the start of the war, including at least 20 brought down by hostile fire, according to a study by the Brookings Institution.