Iraq fire downed US helicopters

Four US helicopters lost in Iraq in recent weeks appear to have been downed by ground fire, the US military has admitted publicly for the first time.

A US spokesman in Iraq said that as a result, tactics were being adjusted and mission procedures modified.

Three army helicopters and a private aircraft have come down since 20 January, with the loss of 20 US lives.

The US has lost more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003 - about half of them to hostile fire.

Correspondents say the recent incidents have raised new questions about whether insurgents are using more sophisticated weapons, or whether US tactics need changing.

In other developments in Iraq:

• The Iraqi government has said it will announce guidelines for the new security plan for Baghdad, led by Iraqi forces with support from the US, in parliament in the next few days.
• The UN Secretary-General's special representative in Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, has urged Iraqis to show wisdom and courage in finding a way out of the spiralling violence.
• Syrian officials have denied allegations by the Iraqi government that Damascus is not doing enough to stop Sunni militants carrying out attacks in Iraq. Earlier an Iraq spokesman said Syria-based militants were responsible for 50% of violence in Baghdad.
• Residents of Baghdad's al-Sadriya district have been taking the bodies of some of those killed in Saturday's bomb attack at a market to the holy city of Najaf for burial. At least 130 were killed.
• Fresh bomb attacks in Baghdad on Sunday killed at least 15 people, including four policemen.

Targeting helicopters

Maj-Gen William Caldwell says in Baghdad that although investigations were incomplete, it appeared the crashes "were all the result of some kind of ground fire".

"We don't see this as a focus just on the multinational force," he said.

"There's been an ongoing effort since we've been here to target our helicopters. Based on what we have seen, we're already making adjustments in our tactics and techniques and procedures as to how we employ our helicopters."

The US military depends heavily on helicopters to ferry soldiers and supplies, as well as to stage air strikes against suspected militants and other missions in support of ground forces.