11 Dead, 6 U.S., In Copter Shoot

(CBS/AP)  A commercial helicopter was shot down by missile fire north of the Iraqi capital Thursday, killing 11 people, including six American contractors, officials said.

Bulgaria's Defense Ministry said the helicopter was downed by missile fire and the victims included a three-member Bulgarian crew.

Hours later, an Islamic Web site posted video and claims that they executed the sole survivor of a civilian helicopter shot down in Iraq. The video, which was not authenticated, shows a man being helped to his feet, only to be killed moments later in a spray of bullets.

A Toronto-based charter company said there were two bodyguards from Fiji on board, while Bulgaria's Transport Ministry said they were from the Philippines.

The Philippine mission in Baghdad said it had no information that any of its nationals were on the helicopter.

In other developments:

Relatives of Iraqis who have disappeared in a Sunni militant stronghold known as the "Triangle of Death" gathered at a police station in Suwayra to examine photographs of the bodies of dozens of Iraqis that officials said were pulled from the Tigris River in recent weeks.

The country's most feared terror group, al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility Thursday for a suicide car bombing that targeted interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's convoy but did not harm the Iraqi leader.

In a separate attack, a roadside bomb exploded on the highway leading to Baghdad's airport Thursday, heavily damaging three sport utility vehicles carrying civilians. Police Capt. Hamid Ali said two foreigners were killed and three wounded in the burning vehicles. But U.S. Embassy and military officials could not confirm the casualties.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry identified 19 bullet-riddled bodies found Wednesday in Haditha, 140 miles northwest of Baghdad, as fishermen. Residents initially said they believed the victims were soldiers.

Helicopters are being used more in Iraq by American civilians, because of the danger on the roads, but they are vulnerable.

"They fly low, they fly fast, but they are not armed to the teeth like a U.S. military helicopter would be," said CBS News' Phil Ittner.

"Returning from a reporting stint in the Tigris River, I flew the same route towards Baghdad earlier Thursday on an American Black Hawk helicopter. Our pilots bobbed and swerved to avoid ground fire — as is standard practice," said another CBS Newsman, Phil Smucker.

The six Americans worked for security contractor Blackwater USA, the U.S. Embassy said. The North Carolina-based contracting firm provides security for State Department officials in Iraq.

Two U.S. military officials in Baghdad initially said the helicopter was contracted by the Defense Department, but the U.S. Embassy later said that was untrue. It gave no information on the contractor.

It was unclear whether the civilian employees of Blackwater were under contract to the Pentagon or the State Department, U.S. officials in Washington said.

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