Iraqi army helicopter shot down by IS militants over Mosul

Islamic State militants have shot down an Iraqi army helicopter over Mosul, killing the two-member crew, the Iraqi government said.

The incident happened during the operation to retake the city from IS militants, the ministry of defence said.

Officials said the helicopter came down as a result of ground fire and landed somewhere in eastern Mosul.

Footage from a cameraman showed a large ball of fire with a long trail of thick black smoke as the aircraft fell out of the sky.

Iraqi air force and army aircraft conduct regular strike operations over the city to support police and special forces units battling the militants.

The operation to retake Mosul from IS started last October.