BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials say a military helicopter has crashed in a remote area west of the capital, killing its four-member crew.



A military officer said Sunday the helicopter went down late Saturday outside Baghdad’s western suburb of Abu Ghraib due to technical failure. He added that a pilot and three assistants were killed.



A policeman confirmed the incident and the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.



Since late December, Iraq’s western cities have seen fierce clashes pitting government security forces and their allies from tribal militias against Al-Qaeda-linked militants and other insurgent groups. The insurgents hold the city of Falluja and the Anbar provincial capital, Ramadi. – AP