Iraqi military helicopter crashes delivering aid

World Today

An Iraqi military helicopter delivering aid to displaced refugees in northern Iraq crashed Tuesday in the Sinjar Mountains after too many tried to climb aboard, killing the pilot.

Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said in a statement that Iraqi parliamentarian Vian Dakheel, of the minority Yazidi community most affected by the fighting, was aboard the Mi-17 helicopter and was injured in the crash. She and others aboard were evacuated to a hospital in the nearby Kurdish autonomous region.

The U.S., Iraqi military, and other allies have been flying in humanitarian supplies to help thousands of minority Yazidis trapped in the hills by militants from the Islamic State. Iraq’s incumbent prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has urged security forces to stay out of the current political crisis.

Associated Press Bureau Chief Vivian Salama reports from Baghdad.

Iraqi military helicopter crashes delivering aid

An Iraqi military helicopter delivering aid to displaced refugees in northern Iraq has crashed. The U.S., Iraqi military, and other allies have been flying in humanitarian supplies to help thousands of minority Yazidis trapped in the hills by militants from the Islamic State. Also, Iraq's incumbent prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has urged security forces to stay out of the current political crisis.

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James Gelvin joined the show. He is a professor of modern Middle East history, University of California, Los Angeles.

Another round of aid to refugees, humanitarian international response

James Gelvin joined the show. He is a professor of modern Middle East history, University of California, Los Angeles.

Report complied with information from The Associated Press.