The two bodyguards who were killed along with nine other people on board of a Bulgarian cargo aircraft in Iraq were from Fiji, not from the Philippines, the Canadian helicopter contractor said.

Bulgaria's Transport Ministry had earlier reported that besides the three crew members from Bulgaria, the crash victims included six Americans and two Filipino bodyguards.

The helicopter was owned by Bulgaria-based Heli Air and chartered by Toronto-based SkyLink Aviation Inc., said SkyLink air operations manager Paul Greenaway. The helicopter was flying to Tikrit, he said.

He added the victims included three Bulgarian crew members and two security guards from Fiji.

The six American casualties worked for security contractor Blackwater USA, the US Embassy said. The North Carolina-based contracting firm provides security for State Department officials in Iraq.

The Mi-8 helicopter went down about 12 miles north of Baghdad, the US Embassy said. Video on television showed burning wreckage from the Russian-built craft, two charred bodies and personal belongings scattered across a wide area.

Thursday's incident increases the death tally of Bulgaria in Iraq, now with eight military and two civilian deaths.

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