Four Iraqi officers killed in helicopter crash near Baiji

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Four Iraqi officers died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday in the area of the country’s oil rich district of Baiji, 180 kilometres south of Mosul. 

“The helicopter belonging to Iraqi air forces crashed today near to Baiji district,” said Shakhawan Abdullah, an MP from Baghdad’s security and defense committee.

“The officers who died following the incident were holding the rank of major,” Abdullah added, saying that the cause of the crash is yet unknown. “We have found the black box and will disclose why the plane crashed.”

The Iraqi military media center said the helicopter had crashed due to a “technical problem.”  

“Plane crash near to Baiji in Salahadin province happened due to a technical problem,” they announced in a statement on Wednesday.