An Iraqi military helicopter crashed near the Shiite's holy city of Karbala south of Baghdad, killing all six crew members, a security source said on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
The incident took place overnight when a sandstorm brought the helicopter down in the al-Ibrahimiyah area in east Karbala, some 110 km south of Baghdad, the source from Karbala operations command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The incident is under investigation, the source said.
The helicopter was part of the security measures tasked with protecting hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims who came from across the country to gather in Karbala for a major Shiite ritual.
Karbala is the scene for a major Shiite ceremony commemorating the birth of Imam Mahdi, the last of the twelve most revered Shiite Imams.