Contras Down Sandista Helicopter, Killing 11
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MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Rebel troops shot down a Sandinista army MI-17 helicopter in northern Nicaragua on Friday, killing 11 soldiers aboard and wounding nine, the Defense Ministry said.
The statement claimed the Soviet-built troop transport helicopter exploded when struck by a U.S.-made, surface-to-air Redeye missile near La Vigia in Jinotega province, 125 miles north of Managua.
Two weeks ago, the contras said on their clandestine Radio Liberation station that they had shot down 13 Sandinista helicopters so far this year. The Defense Ministry statement Friday put the number at four.
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