13 die in Turkish military helicopter crash near Iraqi border

Thirteen high-ranking Turkish military officials were killed yesterday when their helicopter crashed in the south east of the country, In a statement, the army said the AS 532 Cougar had crashed shortly after taking off around 1855 GMT on Wednesday. It said emergency search and rescue teams were dispatched to the area and evaluations were underway at the crash site.
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Reports suggest that the crash occurred three minutes after take-off, killing all personnel: two colonels, a lieutenant colonel, a major, three lieutenant captains, a 1st lieutenant, two sergeant majors, two sergeants and a major general who was responsible for border division.
The accident occurred in Senoba region in Sirnak, a border province close to IRaq. The Cougar type helicopter is reported to have crashed to the ground after hitting a high-voltage transmission line. The incident is being investigated.
The mountainous location is an area where the clashes between Turkish military troops and Kurdistan Workers' Party fighters take place frequently.
Broadcaster CNN Turk said Defence Minister Fikri Isik was travel to Sirnak today, while presidential sources said President Tayyip Erdogan had been briefed on the crash following a National Security Council meeting earlier on Wednesday.
 

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