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7 U.S. soldiers die in chopper crash

BAGHDAD: A U.S. military helicopter flying into southern Iraq from Kuwait crashed on Thursday, killing seven American soldiers. Military officials said they suspect a mechanical problem was to blame after ruling out hostile fire.

The CH-47 Chinook was flying in a four-helicopter convoy to the U.S. military base at Balad, north of Baghdad, when it crashed shortly after midnight in the desert about 100 km west of Basra, said the military.

In Washington, a Pentagon official said officials suspect a malfunction on the Chinook.

“They think it was a mechanical problem,” he said on condition of anonymity. Earlier, a military spokesman in Baghdad, Maj. John Hall, said hostile fire had been ruled out. “The other three helicopters in the flight did not have incident or injury,” he said.

The military said the seven who died were the only people on board. — AP

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