Iraqi officer killed, another injured in a helicopter crash in Tuz Khurmatu
Iraqi Army Aviation Bell 407 helicopter. Photo: US Army
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Defense said that an Iraqi officer was killed and another was injured in a helicopter accident in the city of Tuz Khurmatu in northern Iraq.
The Defense Ministry elaborated that the helicopter was on a mission related to the security plan of the provincial council elections before a technical failure caused the helicopter to crash, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The two officers were transferred to Tuz Khurmatu Hospital.
Iraqis voted on Monday to choose their provincial councils after a decade of hiatus.
The provincial elections covered 15 out of the 18 Iraqi governorates, as the remaining three governorates belong to the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
In June, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that it had decided to open the door for the registration of alliances and parties wishing to participate in the provincial council elections from July 1 until July 30.
The IHEC mentioned earlier that more than 16 million Iraqis have the right to vote and that more than 200,000 IHEC employees will supervise the voting.
There are 285 seats in provincial councils, with 10 seats designated for minorities.