URL=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20051101-0953-ushelicopteratta…
By Paul Haven
ASSOCIATED PRESS
9:53 a.m. November 1, 2005
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan ? A rocket-propelled grenade apparently was fired at a U.S. military helicopter ferrying relief supplies to quake victims in Pakistan’s portion of disputed Kashmir on Tuesday, but the aircraft was not hit and nobody was injured, a spokesman said.
The attack occurred as the helicopter was flying over Chakothi, a quake-ravaged town near the Line of Control that separated Pakistan’s portion of the Himalayan region from the area controlled by India, Capt. Rob Newell, a spokesman for the U.S. military relief effort, told The Associated Press.
“A United States Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter that was flying in the vicinity of Chakothi delivering relief to earthquake victims is believed to have been fired on by a rocket-propelled grenade today around 1:45 p.m.,” he said, adding “the aircraft was not hit and returned safely with its crew” to an air base near the capital.
Newell said the U.S. Army and the Pakistani government were investigating. But Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told AP that he doubted that any such attack took place, noting that road clearing engineers were blasting a road near where the helicopters were flying.
“The blast was huge enough to kick up dust which the pilot probably misunderstood as rocket fire,” he said.
Sultan said Pakistani army troops carried out a cordon and search operation and spoke to witnesses on the ground, none of whom reported a rocket attack.
Newell said the attack would not effect America’s determination to help Pakistan recover from the Oct. 8 quake, which is believed to have killed about 80,000 people and left millions more homeless.
“We are going to continue to fly the helicopter missions in support of the relief effort and in support of Pakistan,” he said.
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