A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter was struck by small-arms fire and crashed near Karbala, the site of fierce fighting between the invading US Army's 3rd Infantry Division and Iraqi resistance troops, U.S. military officials said Thursday. Seven of the 11 invasion soldiers aboard were killed, and the four others were rescued by U.S. troops.

The casualties were caused when the helicopter crashed, not when it was hit, officials at U.S. Central Command forward headquarters in Doha, Qatar said.

The four rescued invasion soldiers suffered undisclosed injuries, the Pentagon said.

The rescue effort took several hours and required help from ground troops in securing the area.

Officials said the crash occurred several hours earlier, on Wednesday but that the news was withheld while the rescue was under way.
      
Military officials would not specify what type of small-arms fire hit the helicopter.

The UH-60 Black Hawk series is protected by armor that is supposed to withstand fire from 23mm shells, but a bullet fired from the ground could have hit a hydraulic line or a rear rotor, causing the helicopter to crash.

The Black Hawk also was not directly involved in combat at the time, officials said.

The helicopter was away from the battlefield providing command and control support, relaying information about Iraqi positions, during an engagement with the Republican Guard's Medina Division.

The Black Hawk was the second U.S. helicopter US officials publicly admitted losing to Iraqi resistance fire. An Army Apache assault helicopter went down March 24 during an assault on Republican Guard forces near Karbala, and Iraqis captured its two pilots.

The UH-60 Black Hawk is one of the US Army's main utility and troop transport helicopters. Each one is flown by a crew of four and can carry up to 11 soldiers.

Other Key Developments in the Invasion of Iraq

*_ U.S. forces have reportedly moved to as close as 20 miles outside Baghdad.

*_ The Pentagon sought to lower expectations that Baghdad could be taken quickly or easily. "We are planning for a very difficult fight ahead in Baghdad. We are not expecting to drive into Baghdad suddenly and seize it," said Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

*_ Al-Jazeera announced that Iraqi officials are expelling one of its reporters from Baghdad and barring another from reporting. The Arab satellite station, however, said its live footage from the Iraqi capital would continue.

*_ Defense officials, updating the war toll, said 49 Americans had died, seven have been captured, 15 are missing and 154 have been wounded.

*_ U.S. invasion forces in northern Iraq received 40 nearly combat-ready vehicles, along with food, fuel and medicines, in a shipment via Turkey, despite Turkish insistence that the U.S. military cannot use its territory as a supply corridor for weapons.

*_ Iraqi artillery shelled a key Kurdish-held town in northern Iraq, where U.S. and Kurdish troops are preparing to advance on Saddam's forces.

*_ Secretary of State Colin Powell and Turkish officials agreed on an "early warning" system to avert friction between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds and reduce any likelihood of Turkey moving military forces into Iraq.

*_ British Prime Minister Tony Blair said coalition forces should hand over power to an Iraqi government as soon as possible once Saddam's regime is overthrown.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraq shot down a US Helicopter, Wednesday, April 2, 2003; Severn were killed four others were injured as the Black Hawk aircraft was hit by small arms near Karbala. The helicopter, a UH-60 Black Hawk like these, was the second U.S. helicopter to go down in combat.