A British military transport plane crashed northwest of Baghdad on Sunday, the British Ministry of Defence said. "An RAF C-130 Hercules crashed at around 1725 local time on 30 January some 30 kilometres northwest of Baghdad," a statement from the ministry in London said. "The cause of the crash, and the extent of casualties among personnel on board are not yet known. Further details will be promulgated as soon as possible." U.S. officials said the plane crashed near the Iraqi capital. British and U.S. troops were helping Iraqi forces ensure security on Sunday as Iraqis voted in the first national election since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
