The pilot and the copilot of the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter were confirmed dead, but the US military refused to give the names before notifying their families.

    The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but theofficials involved in the rescue operation ruled out the possibility that the helicopter was shot down.

    Earlier this week a US helicopter crashed in bad weather in the western desert in Iraq, killing 30 Marines and one sailor. Enditem