The American combat helicopter Apache is shot down in Iraq

The American army assault helicopter Apache, which crashed on Tuesday morning in the Iraqi Gorda Khabbania area, was shot down from the ground.

This was announced by the CBS television company representative of the military command of the American group in Iraq, Colonel William Darley.

"It is obvious that the car was shot down by enemy fire," Darley said. According to him, two crew members were not injured.

Earlier, the American sergeant, who asked not to name his name, said Newsru.com. The sand is one of the possible reasons for the fall of a helicopter.

“They are falling all the time. These helicopters are not intended for sandy areas. The sand is clogged into the engine and literally breaks it. The desert is not a place for turntables. Paper planes in sand storms are not able to fly,” said Newsru.com interlocutor.

The helicopter crashed at about 9:30 Moscow time near the city of Khabbania, 80 km west of the Iraqi capital.

The terrain around the city of Khabbania and the nearby city of El Falluja is located in the so -called "Sunni triangle" - a stronghold of the support of Saddam Hussein - and is a place of almost daily attacks on the forces of the coalition.

Chronicle of disasters of American military helicopters in Iraq

On January 8 , 5 kilometers from the city of El Falluja was shot down by the American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter . 9 troops died. The helicopter performed a mission to evacuate the wounded.

On January 2, an American military helicopter was shot down in the El Falluji area. 1 US soldier died.

On December 10, the Apache helicopter made a forced landing under Mosul. No one was injured.

On December 9, the OH-58 Delta Kiowa helicopter crashed near the Iraqi city of El Falluj. The helicopter was shot down by a rocket released from the ground from the portable anti-aircraft missile system. No one was injured.

On November 15, two Black Hawk helicopters collided in the air above Mosul; 17 soldiers died. The American command stated that the clash most likely occurred after one of the helicopters was knocked out of the ground from a grenade launcher, lost control and crashed into the second.

On November 7 , a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down under Tikrit; 6 troops died.

On November 2, the Iraqi partisans were shot down by the Chinook transport helicopter ; 16 military personnel died, another 26 were injured.

On October 25, a military helicopter was shot down under a ticrit ; 5 people are injured.

On June 12, a military helicopter Apache is shot down in the west of Iraq; No one was injured.

In total, 49 American soldiers died as a result of helicopter disasters in Iraq.