Two US soldiers killed in Iraq helicopter crash

Two American soldiers died today when their helicopter crashed north of Baghdad, the US military announced.

No gunfire was observed in the area at the time of the crash, which was being investigated, a brief statement said.

The incident occurred in Salahuddin province, which includes Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit.

The statement said the two soldiers were members of Task Force Lightning, attached to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade.

Their names were withheld pending notification of their families. The deaths bring the number of US troops killed in Iraq this month to 18.