IRAQ - March 24 - Two US Helicopters Downed.

Iraqi forces down two US Apache helicopters near the village of Abu Mustafe, north of Al Hillah, and force 30 other helicopters in their brigade back to their base. One 2-member crew is unaccounted for by the US forces; the other is rescued by them. Information Minister Mohammad Said Sahhaf says at a news conference: "Farmers shot down two Apaches. We showed one today and might show the second and the pilots. We are holding several other American and British prisoners and we may show some of them". The state television broadcast images of one downed helicopter and jubilant men dancing around it. All 32 helicopters suffered some damage, mostly slight, US army officials said. Speaking at a news briefing at the US Central Command in Qatar, Gen. Tommy Franks confirmed the loss of one Apache helicopter, saying: "The fate of the crew is uncertain right now. We characterise that crew, two men, as missing in action". He denied that the helicopter was shot down by farmers, as Baghdad maintained, but did not say what had forced it out of the air.