A helicopter went down in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all 14 American troops aboard, the military said. The military said initial indications showed the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem and was not brought down by hostile fire.
According to the AP, the UH-60 Black Hawk was part of a pair of helicopters on a nighttime operation when the crash took place. The four crew members and 10 passengers who perished in the crash were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the military said.
Wednesday's deaths raised to at least 3,721 members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003.
Iraqi security forces also faced more violence in northern Iraq, with a roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in the center of Tikrit, killing one officer and injuring another, along with two civilians, authorities said.
A suicide truck bomber also struck the police directorate in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, killing at least 27 people and injuring 65, police said. According to Reuters, police said the bomber struck the front gates of the police directorate. Those killed Wednesday included 18 policemen and nine civilians, while 20 officers and 45 civilians were wounded, the officials said.
