US military helicopter crashes in western Iraq, with 7 on board

A US military HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter with seven members on board has crashed in western Iraq, US Central Command said in a statement Thursday.

"Rescue teams are responding to the scene of the downed aircraft at this time," the statement said.

The aircraft crashed near al-Qaim, a town in Anbar province near the border with Syria. The helicopter, which is used by the AirForce for combat search and rescue, was carrying seven people and fatalities were "likely," Reuters quoted one of the officials as saying.

Further details are not known and it is not clear whether the aircraft was brought down by hostile fire. Central Command said that they will investigate the cause of the crash.

"A US military aircraft has crashed in western Iraq with US service members aboard," the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve or the anti-ISIS coalition 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."