A US FA-18 Hornet warplane and a Black Hawk helicopter were shot down over southern Iraq, it was reported today.
The Hornet was downed S FA-18 Hornet warplane and a Black Hawk helicopter were shot down over southern Iraq, it was by a surface-to-air missile, US TV networks said, and the Pentagon said that the Black Hawk was hit by small arms fire.
The Hornet was the first US or UK fixed-wing aircraft to be brought down by enemy fire since the US-led attack on Iraq began two weeks ago.
The fate of the pilot from the plane was not known, but up to seven soldiers died in the helicopter. The plane was based on the aircraft carrier USS Kittyhawk.
The Black Hawk was downed near Kerbala, the site of fierce street-to-street skirmishes between the US 3rd Infantry Division and Iraqi Republican Guard troops.
There was some confusion over the number on board. Pentagon officials said there were 11 on board, seven of whom were killed and four were injured and rescued.
But an initial report from Central Command in Qatar said there were only six soldiers on board and that casualties had not been confirmed. It said the helicopter crashed in central Iraq at approximately 7.30pm yesterday while on an operational mission.
