Baghdad: A US military helicopter has crashed near Salman Pak, 25 kilometres southeast of Baghdad, killing two soldiers and wounding 12,the American military said. Military spokesman Specialist Charles Espie yesterday told AFP that the helicopter crashed due to causes yet to be determined.

"It was not brought down by enemy fire," he said. "Two coalition force soldiers were killed and 12 were wounded," Espie said. A military statement said an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the incident.
 
The US military's overall losses in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion have now reached 3,868,according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures, which also take into account soldiers who die after leaving Iraq for treatment.

At least 863 US soldiers have been killed since the beginning of 2007,already the deadliest year for the military since the 2003 invasion. The crash is the first by a US helicopter in Iraq since August 22,when 14 American soldiers were killed in northern Iraq after their Blackhawk came down during a pre-dawn flight.

American forces in Iraq make constant use of a huge fleet of helicopters, and are dependent on them to avoid roadside bombs laid by insurgents and militia fighters.
The deadliest single US chopper crash was on November 15, 2003,when two Blackhawks collided near Mosul in northern Iraq, killing 17 soldiers.

In January and February this year there was a spate of crashes, including some shot down by an insurgent cell which deployed anti-aircraft crews north of Baghdad. US forces have since hunted down those gunners.

Source : PTI