IRAQ: A Russian-built commercial helicopter was shot down north of Baghdad yesterday and all nine people aboard were believed to have been killed, US military sources said.
The attack, believed to be the first downing of a civilian aircraft in Iraq, comes amid a surge in violence and puts further pressure on leaders struggling to form a government nearly three months after elections.
The Mi-8 helicopter was flying near the town of Tarmiya, about 40km north of Baghdad, when it was hit by ground fire, possibly by a rocket-propelled grenade, sources said. The violence threatens to eclipse efforts by elected leaders to form a government, amid growing tensions between Iraq's majority Shia and once-dominant Sunni Muslim communities. Disagreements have delayed the announcement of a government.
