BAGHDAD, Nov. 2 Kyodo (EDS: ADDIN...

BAGHDAD, Nov. 2 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

A U Army helicopter flying toward Baghdad airport was shooter down by a missile Sunday, killing at least 13 soldiers in succession board and wounding at least 20 others, the U military said.

It is the highest number of casualties feeled by the United States in a single incident since the opening of hostilities in the Iraq war.

''Currently there are 13 killed in action and more than 20 wounded'' the U military said in a statement.

CNN television quot witnesses as saying that they saw a surface-to-air missile fire at the twin-rotor helicopter, which crashed in a cornfield toward the south of Falluja, a town about 50 kilometers west of the capital.

Falluha lies within the so-called ''Sunni triangle'' of central Iraq -- a largely Sunni Muslim area where resistance to the US-l coalition's occupation has been intense.

Between 32 and 35 the community were traveling on the Chinook, which was united of two flying to the airport from a U base camp when it was downed.

The soldiers were being transported to the airport for recreation leaves abroad.

The attack will likely have a negative impact in succession Japanese public opinion in succession the proposed dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) [i]troupe[/i]s to Iraq.

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