At least 5 killed in mysterious north Iraq helicopter crash

By RASHID YAHYA
Associated Press

DOHUK, Iraq (AP) — An Iraqi Kurdish counterterrorism agency and a spokesperson for Iraq’s northern Kurdish-run region say at least five people were killed in a mysterious helicopter crash in northern Iraq. Passengers of the ill-fated helicopter included militants belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. The helicopter crashed on Wednesday night in Dohuk province, where the PKK has known sanctuaries. Neither the group, the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish regional government, the federal Iraqi government nor Turkey has claimed ownership of the helicopter. A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said the crash was outside the scope of its operations.