BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) -- Marxist rebels shot down a U.S.-made
                  Huey UH-1H police helicopter over northern Colombia Sunday, injuring
                  nine people on board, authorities said.

                  The Vietnam-era chopper, whose passengers included regional police chief
                  Col. Joaquin Correa and two local journalists, set out from the oil refining
                  town of Barrancabermeja but was hit as it flew over Bolivar province.

                  The craft crash-landed near the town of San Pablo and the casualties were
                  flown back to hospital in Barrancabermeja suffering from bumps and
                  bruises, a police spokesman said.

                  The spokesman said National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels had fired on
                  the helicopter but was unable to say how many times it had been hit. None
                  of the injured suffered bullet wounds.

                  Local media said the helicopter had been on an anti-drug mission but police
                  declined to confirm that.

                  The Cuban-inspired ELN is Colombia's second largest rebel force and is
                  locked in a bitter battle with ultra-right paramilitary gangs for control of
                  territory in Bolivar where the helicopter was hit.

                     Copyright 1999 Reuters.