Robertson: No confirmation yet Black Hawk attacked
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CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson
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SPECIAL REPORT
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TIKRIT, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. military officials are investigating the fatal crash of a Black Hawk helicopter near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit on Friday morning. CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, reporting near the crash site, spoke to Anchor Soledad O'Brien.
ROBERTSON: The investigation does still seem to be very much under way, that's what coalition officials are telling us. ...
Two helicopters [are] circling over the area at the end of the ridgeline [where] the Black Hawk came down this morning about seven hours ago.
There appears to be still some activity going on on the ground where that Black Hawk was. Periodically we see clouds of dust coming up from that area.
We understand that [the] investigation into why that helicopter crashed is still ongoing. What senior military officials have told us is that people who live in the town on that ridgeline, that very densely populated area high up above the river there, ... saw something being fired at the helicopter before it crashed.
Now, coalition officials say they cannot confirm that. Indeed, one of the Black Hawks flying with the Black Hawk that crashed reports that it didn't see anything coming up from the ground, didn't see any missile being fired.
But what happened about 9:20 Iraq time this morning, two Black Hawks flying from Mosul to the north of here flew past that densely populated area, one of the Black Hawks crashed, killing all six people aboard, and right now the investigation continues. The area is secured, we're told. The helicopters [are] continuing to hover in that area.
O'BRIEN: That was CNN's Nic Robertson for us this morning in Tikrit, Thanks, Nick.