Islamic State group downs another Iraqi helicopter

 Written by : Mohamed Abdel Fattah
Oct 08, 2014

An Iraqi military helicopter crashed Wednesday near Baiji, around 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Baghdad, killing the crew, a senior officer and residents said.

According to two Iraqi officials, the extremists used a shoulder-fired missile to take down the Bell 407 helicopter, which crashed just north of the refinery town of Beiji, located about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad.

Iraqi federal forces have been battling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group at the Baiji oil refinery since the beginning of the jihadist offensive in early June.

It was the second time in less than a week that militants of the extremist group the Islamic State have shot down an Iraqi military helicopter.Despite weeks of an escalating US-led air campaign against Isil, the jihadis have continued to press Iraqi forces west of the capital.

The two incidents highlight the Islamic State group’s ability to counter air operations, potentially putting at risk U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

The United States and five Arab allies launched an aerial campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria on Sept. 23 with the aim to push back the militant group that has declared a self-styled caliphate, or Islamic state, ruled by its brutal interpretation of Islam in territory it has seized across much of Iraq and Syria.. The U.S. has been bombing Islamic State targets in neighboring Iraq since August.

Meanwhile, Canada's Parliament voted Tuesday to authorize airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq following a U.S. request, Associated Press reported

The motion backing a Canadian combat role passed 157 to 134, with members of the two main opposition parties voting against following two days of debate.

Six hundred air crew and other personnel, along with six fighter jets and several other military aircraft, will now head to the Middle East.

The approval means Canada is now the latest country to lend air support to U.S.-led efforts in the Middle East,Canada is among dozens of countries that have joined the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group.

Islamic State fighters are waging a two-front war in Iraq and Syria, seeking to expand the boundaries of their newly self-declared caliphate, or Islamic state, ruled by strict Islamic law.

Sources
http://www.navytimes.com/article/20141008/NEWS08/310080035/IS-downs-another-Iraqi-helicopter

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/world/middleeast/isis-iraq-violence.html

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/08/Officer-Iraq-military-helicopter-crashes-crew-dead-.html

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