Two soldiers killed in US helicopter crash in Iraq

Baghdad: A coalition forces helicopter crashed in Iraq on Tuesday, killing two soldiers and injuring 12, the US military said.

Major Brad Leighton, a US military spokesman, said initial reports indicated the crash near the town of Salman Pak, 45km southeast of Baghdad, was not the result of enemy fire.

He declined to say if the casualties were American or give details on the type of aircraft. The number of soldiers on board suggest it was a Black Hawk helicopter, the workhorse of the US military, which is used to transport troops around Iraq.

Two US military helicopters crashed in Iraq in August, killing a total of 19 US service personnel.

Nearly 70 helicopters have crashed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussain, about half of them because of hostile fire.