3 Mexican soldiers killed in armed attack on helicopter

Three soldiers were killed Friday in the western Mexican state of Jalisco when shots fired by armed assailants brought down their helicopter, while three other troops are reported missing, authorities said.

The soldiers, who were on an aerial reconnaissance mission, came under attack when they spotted a group of vehicles carrying armed individuals on a road linking the towns of Casimiro Castillo and Villa Purificacion, the Defense Secretariat said in a statement.

Gunshots struck the Cougar chopper and forced the soldiers to make an emergency landing, an attack that killed three troops and injured 10 others. Two police officers also were injured in the incident.

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