Twelve killed in US helicopter crash

10.00pm

UPDATED REPORT - Twelve soldiers are dead after a US Marine helicopter crashed in Kuwait today, in the first reported fatalities among forces attacking Iraq.

Earlier reports had said there were sixteen people aboard the helicopter and that all had been killed when the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter crashed about 16km south of the border with Iraq at about 12.40pm NZT today.

But British Defence Minister Geoff Hoon now says there were only twelve people on the aircraft - eight British and four US soldiers.

This afternoon US Marine Corps Major David Andersen contradicted an earlier version given to reporters by US officials in Washington that the crash had killed 12 Americans and four Britons.

"We are confirming 12 British and four Americans dead," Andersen told Reuters.

"The crash is still under investigation but preliminary reports suggest that it was not as a result of hostile fire."

It crashed while conducting operations related to the campaign against Iraq.

The Sea Knights are used by the Marine's to fly troops between ships and base camps to forward positions.

Earlier two other US military helicopters made crash landings during operations along the Kuwait-Iraq border. One was later destroyed by American warplanes to prevent it from falling into Iraqi hands, Defence Department officials said.

None of the six crew members aboard the MH-53 "Pave Low" Special Operations helicopter or the two crew members on the AH-64 "Apache" attack helicopter was injured in the incidents on Wednesday night and Thursday, the officials said.

Iraq's military claimed it had shot down the Pave Low, but US officials said it had made a safe crash landing.

Apparently neither chopper was struck by ground fire, they told Reuters.

The MH-53 crash landing in southern Iraq on Wednesday night was the first known loss of an American aircraft in the war against Iraq. It occurred before US bombing and cruise missile raids were launched against targets on the outskirts of Baghdad.

There was no indication why the big, twin-engine helicopter had crashed, but it was later bombed by American warplanes after the crew was rescued by another helicopter, officials said.

"The helicopter is in little pieces now," said one official.

The AH-64 Apache made a "hard landing" in northern Kuwait on Thursday after suffering what may have been a mechanical problem, US officials said.

They said neither of the two crewmen on the heavily armed helicopter was injured. The Apache was taking part in an attack mission into Iraq but there was no indication that it was struck by enemy fire before landing in Kuwait, officials said. It was later returned to operations.

The big Pave Low, designed for clandestine, low-level movement deep into enemy territory, was part of a wide thrust to get elite US forces into areas of Iraq ahead of a major ground invasion "at the appropriate time," according to one of the officials.

The Pentagon refused comment. "We do not discuss any operational incidents," said Bryan Whitman, a Defence Department spokesman, in response to questions.

The MH-53J, the most advanced version of the big chopper, is equipped with armour plating and a combination of three 7.62mm miniguns or 50 calibre machine guns. It can transport 38 troops.

- REUTERS