US says crashed helicopter in Iraq not military

BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) The US military said TOday reports that a helicopter had gone down in central Baghdad appeared to refer to a civilian aircraft.

''No coalition forces aircraft are reported as down. Coalition forces are investigating what appears to be a crashed civilian aircraft,'' a US statement said, responding to a query on reports of a crashed helicopter.

Private security firms have helicopters operating in Iraq.

Residents in central Baghdad told Reuters earlier they saw a helicopter come down and some said it had been shot first. One resident said he saw four bodies in the wreckage.

REUTERS AB PM1828