BAGHDAD, Aug 9: A US Blackhawk helicopter crashed in western Iraq and two of the six troops on board are missing, the US military said on Wednesday.

“The aircraft has been located. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing for two missing crewmembers. The remaining four are in stable condition,” US Marine Corps spokesman Major Riccoh Player said of Tuesday’s crash.

US-led forces spokesman Major General William Caldwell told reporters the chopper had crashed in water following a technical snag.

“The helicopter went down with some kind of technical difficulty. It crashed in water,” Gen Caldwell said at a press conference.

“We will have a full status report later in the day,” he added, noting that the names of the missing would not be revealed until their families were informed.

Earlier, Major Player had also ruled out enemy action for the copter’s crash.

The military said the helicopter was a US Army UH60 Blackhawk attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. It crashed in the province of Al-Anbar, a hotbed of the resistance against the US presence in Iraq.

The 130,000-strong US force relies extensively on helicopters to transport troops and supplies, survey territory and carry out air strikes on guerilla forces.

Many of the roads around the country are not regarded as safe for ground convoys because of the risk of the risk of roadside bombs and ambushes. —AFP