Pentagon Announces Downing of American Drone in Iraq

The U.S. Department of Defense (the Pentagon) announced today, Saturday, that an American military drone crashed north of Baghdad. The Washington Post reported that a U.S. official stated, "An American drone crashed near Balad Air Base in Iraq," without specifying the type. The official added, "Iraqi security forces recovered the drone, and there were no reports of injuries, and an investigation into the incident has been opened." For its part, the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" announced that it opened fire on an American unmanned aerial vehicle of the MQ-9 Reaper model, which is capable of surveillance and attack.