Iraqi officials: IS downs military helicopter, 2 killed

BAGHDAD – Iraqi officials say Islamic State militants shot down a military helicopter west of Baghdad, killing both crew members.

They say the Bell helicopter went down Wednesday near Amiriyah Fallujah, to the south of the Islamic State-held city of Fallujah. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

An MI-17 military helicopter crashed Tuesday, killing all nine crew members on board. Iraqi officials said that crash was caused by technical problems. The helicopter went down near the city of Kut, about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, far from the front lines of the war with the Islamic State group.