, The U.S. military helicopter that crashed outside Baghdad, killing all 12 on board, was shot down by a shoulder-fired missile, CNN reported on Jan. 22.
The Black Hawk was most likely brought down on Saturday by hostile fire, according to unidentified U.S. officials cited by CNN. The crash was still under investigation but debris recovered on the ground indicate a missile was involved, CNN said.
“We have not released anything from here on the cause of the crash … The cause of the crash is still under investigation,” said Lt. Col. Josslyn Aberle in Baghdad.
The Islamic State of Iraq, an Iraqi militant group linked to al-Qaida, said in a statement on a Web site used by Islamist militants that its anti-aircraft units shot down the helicopter.
The authenticity of the statement could not be verified.
Twenty-five U.S. troops were killed on Saturday in one of the deadliest days for the American military in Iraq, according to the latest U.S. tally.
