7 killed in crash of Iraqi helicopter in eastern Iraq

An Iraqi helicopter crashed on Sunday in Iraq's eastern province of Wasit, killing seven crew members, the Iraqi military said.

The Russian Mi-17 helicopter was in a training mission when it crashed in Wasit province, and "all of its seven crew members were killed," the media office of the Joint Operations Command said in a brief statement.

The incident occurred as the Iraqi security forces are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the Islamic State (IS) militants from their last urban stronghold in Iraq's western province of Anbar.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)