Washington: A US military HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, a Black Hawk variant, has crashed in Iraq near the border with Syria, according to US defense officials.

The officials cautioned that these are early reports and that the Pave Hawk was carrying seven personnel, but was not on a combat mission. The officials further said that the early reports do not indicate hostile fire, but they emphasized they need to determine what happened.

"A US military aircraft has crashed in western Iraq with US service members aboard," the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq told CNN.

"Rescue teams are responding to the scene of the downed aircraft at this time. Further details will be released when available. An investigation will be initiated to determine the cause of the incident."

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Tumakuru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said his recent remarks on the demolition of properties linked to those involved in narcotics trade were "misunderstood and misinterpreted".

His clarification follows remarks made two days ago on the government's uncompromising crackdown on the drug menace, including action against properties linked to foreign nationals allegedly involved in drug trafficking.

"It is unfortunate. It is taken in the wrong sense. I didn't mean that tomorrow itself I am going to send bulldozers and demolish the houses. That was not my intention. It was wrongly taken," he told reporters here.

Responding to Congress MLC K Abdul Jabbar's question in the legislative council on the growing drug menace in Bengaluru, Davangere and coastal districts, the minister on Thursday detailed the extensive enforcement measures initiated since the Congress government assumed office.

Pointing to the involvement of some foreign nationals, the minister had said, "Many foreign students from African countries have come to Karnataka. They are into the drug business. We catch them and register cases against them, but they want the case to be registered because once the case is registered, we cannot deport them."

"We have gone to the extent of demolishing the rented building where they stay," he had said.