Iraqi helicopter crash kills 4-member crew in remote area west of capital
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Iraqi officials say a military helicopter has crashed in a remote area west of the capital, killing its four-member crew.
A military officer said Sunday the helicopter went down late Saturday outside Baghdad's western suburb of Abu Ghraib due to technical failure. He added that a pilot and three assistants were killed.
A policeman confirmed the incident and the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.
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Since late December, Iraq's western cities have seen fierce clashes pitting government security forces and their allies from tribal Sunni militias against al-Qaida-linked militants and other insurgent groups. The insurgents hold the city of Fallujah and the Anbar provincial capital, Ramadi.