Gunmen shoot down helicopter in Iraq, kill 5

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Gunmen have downed a military helicopter in Iraq, killing its five-member crew, officials say.

Two intelligence officers and a military official say the helicopter was shot down while it was providing aerial support to troops on the ground during a gun-battle Wednesday with militants outside the city of Tikrit, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The fighting was part of the military's counter-insurgency operation recently launched in Sunni-dominated areas in central and northern Iraq. But the operation, dubbed "Revenge for the Martyrs," has not made significant headway in stopping the violence that has gripped Iraq since April.

More than 5,000 people have been killed since then.

Iraq is witnessing its worst violence since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a brutal sectarian conflict that killed tens of thousands of people.

There are persistent fears that the country is slipping back towards an all-out conflict.

Militants, including those linked to al-Qaeda, frequently carry out attacks against Iraqi security forces and other government employees.

Violence has surged across Iraq in recent months, reaching its highest level since 2008. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that attacks in the country aim to “reignite sectarian strife.”

The United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said on Tuesday that 979 people, including Iraqi civilians and security forces, have been killed in September.

According to the UN, a total of 1,057 Iraqis, including 928 civilians, were killed and another 2,326 wounded in terrorist attacks throughout the country in July.

Moreover, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has expressed concern about the growing violence in Iraq, warning that the new spate of attacks would result in further internal displacement of civilians.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry has said that militants have launched an open war in Iraq and they want to push the Middle Eastern country into chaos.

"The country is currently facing an open war from bloodthirsty sectarian forces that aim to plunge the country into chaos," the Interior Ministry said in a statement issued on July 30.


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