Helicopter Crash in Northern Iraq Leaves 8 Dead, Including 1 U.S. Soldier

BAGHDAD – A U.S. soldier and seven others were killed when an Iraqi military helicopter crashed in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said Tuesday.

The M-17 helicopter was reported missing Monday and was found Tuesday, the military said in a statement. The Iraqi Defense Ministry said the Russian-made aircraft got caught in bad weather and was found Tuesday south of Beiji, about 90 miles south of Mosul.

All eight people on board the helicopter died in the crash, the U.S. military said. One of eight was a U.S. soldier, military spokesman Lt. Michael Street said.

An Iraqi air force official said among the eight killed were six Iraqis and two foreigners. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, could not elaborate on the nationalities of the two foreigners. Street said he was unaware that another foreigner was on board the helicopter.