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The helicopter came down in the Okinawa region near the village of Takamura Takae on Wednesday morning, local media reported. Images taken from the scene showed the aircraft engulfed in a fireball with thick black smoke pouring into the sky. The incident, which occurred shortly after US military drills over the Korean peninsula, led to speculation that North Korea could have shot down the helicopter.

OKINAWA TIMES The helicopter crashed in Japan

Pyongyang has previously vowed to fire at any US aircraft flying near its territory. Police headed to the crash site, which lies southwest of the Korean peninsula, at around 6pm local time (10am GMT). It it thought the vehicle was a CH-53E Super Stallion, a large transporter helicopter that is the heaviest in the US fleet.

GETTY The US had been carrying out military drills

Around 54,000 US military personnel are based in Japan at facilities including an Okinawa base. Police said seven people had been on board the helicopter but none had been injured. The US confirmed the helicopter was based at the US Marines’ Futenma airstrip. It reportedly burst into flames after crash-landing.

North Korea v USA explosive latest pictures Wed, September 20, 2017 Images depict how tensions have escalated between North Korea and the United States. Kim Jong-Un boasted of North Korea's ability to strike any target in the US after a second ICBM test that weapons experts said could even bring New York into range - in a potent challenge to President Donald Trump Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 45 North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Hwasong-14 being lauched at an undisclosed place in North Korea

It came hours after the US sent six military aircraft including two supersonic bombers to Korea in a show of force. The bombers from Guam staged a simulated air-to-ground missile firing drill with two South Korean F-15K fighters over the East Sea. Japan also sent two military aircraft as tensions mount the North could trigger World War 3. Last month, Kim Jong-un’s tyrannical regime threatened to blast American planes out of the sky after accusing Donald Trump of declaring war with his Twitter threats.

GETTY Kim Jong-un has been firing missiles