All 7 US Troops Aboard Helicopter Killed in Crash in Iraq

WASHINGTON — All seven service members aboard a military helicopter died in a crash in western Iraq on Thursday, United States officials said on Friday. The crash is under investigation but is not believed to be a result of enemy action.

The aircraft, an HH-60 Pave Hawk, crashed near the city of Qaim, where the American military uses a base as a logistics center and resupply hub. Iraqi security forces responded quickly and secured the area, according to a statement from Brig. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga, the director of operations for the American-led coalition battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The Defense Department said it would not release the names of the deceased American service members until their families have been notified.

The helicopter crashed about 18 miles southeast of the center of Qaim, near a phosphate factory and railway station close to the military base that the Americans use, said Ahmed al-Mahilawi, the mayor of Qaim. Residents said it crashed shortly after takeoff, he said in a telephone interview.

Coalition forces have sealed the area, Mr. Mahilawi said, adding that preliminary indications were that the helicopter suffered from a technical malfunction.

Qaim is in Anbar Province near the Syrian border, an area that continues to pose a serious threat to the American-led command fighting the Islamic State.

“This tragedy reminds us of the risks our men and women face every day in service of our nations,” General Braga said. ”We are thinking of the loved ones of these service members today.”

The helicopter that crashed is typically flown by the United States Air Force for medical evacuations. The aircraft, a modified version of the Black Hawk helicopter, is also used by Special Operations pararescue specialists.

American forces and Iraqi partners have been winding down their operations against the Islamic State, but fighters pushed from urban centers in Iraq have escaped to the desert along the border to hide.

Iraqi security forces carry out weekly operations to try to clear the area of militants. American forces provide surveillance, intelligence and air support to Iraqi-led military missions, United States officials have said.

Falih Hassan contributed reporting from Baghdad.

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