Three Polish troops killed in Iraq

WARSAW, Poland, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Three Polish soldiers were killed in Iraq Wednesday when their helicopter crashed outside of Karbala, Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka said.

The news comes just one day after Poland announced it would slash its 2,400 troops in Iraq by almost a third to 1,700 soldiers in February.

Details of the crash were scant, but officials said it was almost certainly caused by engine failure. Four other soldiers on board were injured, some seriously.

Twenty Poles have been killed in Iraq since hostilities began.

Poland's participation in the U.S.-led mission in Iraq is unpopular with between 60 percent and 70 percent of Poles, opinion polls suggest.