The downing of a Russian-built commercial helicopter north of Baghdad on Thursday, which killed at least three Bulgarians, is believed to be the first downing of a civilian aircraft in Iraq.

All nine people aboard have been killed.

Three Bulgarian crew and six unidentified passengers were in the Russian-built MI-8 when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, Bulgaria's Defence Ministry confirmed.

The plane was owned by Bulgarian air carrier Heli Air and was reportedly chartered from Washington-based SkyLink Air and Logistic Support (USA) Inc. that contracted by the U.S. Defense Department.

Bulgaria's Deputy Foreign Minister Gergana Grancharova commented that most probably the other six victims of the crash are not Bulgarian citizens.

The attack raised the number of Bulgarians to have died there to 14 -- eight soldiers and six civilians.

The crash came hours after two contractors were killed in a roadside bomb attack against vehicles on the road to Baghdad airport.

And late on Wednesday, Iraq's outgoing Prime Minister Iyad Allawi escaped unhurt after a suicide bomber blew up a car near his convoy in Baghdad. At least two policemen are said to have died in the blast.

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