Military helicopter crashes in emergency zone of northeast Nigeria, no survivors: witnesses
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Witnesses and police say a military helicopter crashed in an explosion of fire near a college hostel in northeast Nigeria, where troops are fighting an Islamic insurgency. They saw no survivors.
Four days earlier, the military reported a helicopter safely crash-landed in the area. Two months ago, Islamic extremists said they shot down a fighter jet and published video showing the beheading of a man friends identified as a Nigerian Air Force pilot.
The United States said Wednesday it refused to sell Nigeria attack helicopters partly because of concerns it could maintain the aircraft.
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Police spokesman Othman Abubakar confirmed the crash in Yola, capital of Adamawa state, but gave no details.
Witness Habu Mallam said it fell in a ball of fire around midnight Thursday.