Two dead as US helicopter crashes in Iraq

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Two crew members were killed when a US army helicopter crashed and burned north of Baghdad, apparently brought down by enemy fire, the US Department of Defense said.

The US military issued a statement confirming that a military helicopter went down northwest of Baghdad.

"Two soldiers were killed when the helicopter went down. Their remains have been recovered and the site secured," the statement said.

The military statement did not identify the type of helicopter or say what caused the crash, but a US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was an army AH-64 Apache gunship.

"The initial report is that it was a shoot-down," said the official.

It was the fourth US helicopter to be downed in less than two weeks, including a UH-60 Blackhawk that investigators believe was shot down with an SA-7 shoulder-fired missile, killing 12 soldiers aboard. ...