Helicopters crash in Russia, Iraq, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – A Pakistani army helicopter with about 16 people aboard crashed yesterday in a remote north-western tribal region that has been the scene of sporadic fighting with foreign militants and their local supporters, police and a senior army official said.

Authorities said it was unlikely there were any survivors. Most of those on board were believed to be Pakistani soldiers.Rescue teams have recovered at least 12 bodies from the crash site, said Naseer Mohammed a local police official in Karak, the town nearest the crash site.He said the helicopter was headed to Bannu, a town on the edge of the tribal region, after leaving Rawalpindi earlier in the morning.Meanwhile, a US Marine helicopter was shot down yesterday morning during fighting in the southern city of Najaf, the military said.No one was killed in the crash of the UH-1 helicopter, said Specialist Justin McCue, a US military spokesman.However, the crew sustained injuries and was evacuated from the area, he said.In Russia yesterday, another Mi-8 transport helicopter crashed in Siberia, killing all 15 people on board, Russia’s emergency ministry said.The three crew and 12 passengers on board the helicopter were killed when it crashed in forest in western Siberia’s Tyumen region, an emergencies ministry spokesperson said.”The helicopter started spinning around then fell to the ground and exploded,” the spokesperson saiud, quoting a witness at the scene.The stricken helicopter was lying on its side in flames some 90 kilometres from the settlement of Raduzhnoye, the Interfax news agency said.The helicopter was one of two on a mission to survey the region’s dense forest, a spokesperson said earlier.- Nampa-AP-AFPMost of those on board were believed to be Pakistani soldiers.Rescue teams have recovered at least 12 bodies from the crash site, said Naseer Mohammed a local police official in Karak, the town nearest the crash site.He said the helicopter was headed to Bannu, a town on the edge of the tribal region, after leaving Rawalpindi earlier in the morning.Meanwhile, a US Marine helicopter was shot down yesterday morning during fighting in the southern city of Najaf, the military said.No one was killed in the crash of the UH-1 helicopter, said Specialist Justin McCue, a US military spokesman.However, the crew sustained injuries and was evacuated from the area, he said.In Russia yesterday, another Mi-8 transport helicopter crashed in Siberia, killing all 15 people on board, Russia’s emergency ministry said.The three crew and 12 passengers on board the helicopter were killed when it crashed in forest in western Siberia’s Tyumen region, an emergencies ministry spokesperson said.”The helicopter started spinning around then fell to the ground and exploded,” the spokesperson saiud, quoting a witness at the scene.The stricken helicopter was lying on its side in flames some 90 kilometres from the settlement of Raduzhnoye, the Interfax news agency said.The helicopter was one of two on a mission to survey the region’s dense forest, a spokesperson said earlier.- Nampa-AP-AFP