BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants with
Islamic State group on Wednesday shot down an Iraqi military attack
helicopter, killing the two pilots on board in the second such incident
in a week and raising concerns about the extremists' ability to attack
aircraft amid ongoing U.S.-led airstrikes.
According
to two Iraqi officials, the extremists used a shoulder-fired missile to
take down the Bell 407 helicopter, which crashed just north of the
refinery town of Beiji, located about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north
of Baghdad.
The pilot and
co-pilot were both killed in the attack, a military aviation official
told The Associated Press. A Defense Ministry official confirmed the
information. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with
regulations.
This is the
second Iraqi military helicopter shot down by the Islamic State group
over Beiji in one week. Militants shot down an Mi-35 helicopter near
Beiji on Friday, also killing the pilot and co-pilot in that attack.
The
two incidents highlight the Islamic State group's ability to counter
air operations, potentially putting at risk U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq
and Syria. Some fear the militants may have captured some sophisticated
weapons, such as ground-to-air missiles capable of shooting down
airplanes when they overran abandoned Iraqi army bases this summer.
European
airlines including Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Air France, U.S. carrier
Delta Air Lines and Dubai-based Emirates changed their commercial flight
plans over the summer to avoid the Iraqi airspace. LINK
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