WASHINGTON'A U.S. Army helicopter carrying 12 U.S. troops crashed at sea in the Philippines early Friday, the Pentagon said.
Philippine officials said three U.S. soldiers had been rescued, apparently by local fishermen, and were taken to the village of Tuboso in Negros Oriental province, according to Philippine television reports.
U.S. military planes and Philippine vessels were searching the area. But by midmorning, Philippine coast guard Lt. Arnold Valino reported there were no signs at the crash site of the wreckage or any other survivors.
Before the crash, the helicopter had just finished ferrying dozens of U.S. Special Forces troops to the island of Basilan, where they are assisting and training Philippine troops combating the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic rebel gang that is holding two American missionaries hostage.
