South Sudan Military Shoots Down U.N. Helicopter

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South Sudan's army on Friday shot down a U.N. helicopter killing all four crew on board, a United Nations spokesman said.

Deputy U.N. spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters the South Sudanese military had admitted to the U.N. mission in the country that it had hit the MI-8 helicopter.

No reasons for the incident were immediately given.

The helicopter was on a "reconnaissance flight" in South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state when it was attacked, the spokesman added.

The helicopter was in the Likuangole district of South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state when it was hit, del Buey added.

"Initial reports indicated the U.N. helicopter crashed and burned. The mission immediately launched a search and recovery mission. It has confirmed the death of all four crew members," the spokesman said.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan initially said only that the helicopter had crashed. "In subsequent communications between the mission and the South Sudanese armed forces, the SPLA told the mission that it had shot down the helicopter," del Buey said.

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