U.S. military officials announced on Sunday that 2 American pilots died after their Apache helicopter crashed near Baghdad.

Most likely, the aircraft was shot down. According to a statement issued by the officials, the AH-64D Apache Longbow crashed at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday during combat west of Youssifiyah, about 10 miles southwest of Baghdad.

"The soldiers' remains were recovered following aircraft recovery operations at the crash site" of the helicopter, which went down due to possible hostile fire," the statement said. The helicopter is said to be located in the "triangle of death," an area famous for attacks by Sunni extremists against Shiites traveling between Baghdad and religious shrines south of the capital.

3 more soldiers were killed, 2 by a roadside bomb late Saturday in central Baghdad and 1 died from non-hostile related injuries suffered near Kirkuk. The 5 deaths so far raise the number of American military killed since the Iraq war started in March 2003 to 2,333.

Sunday was also the day when a roadside bomb exploded in Ramadi, 112km west of Baghdad, blowing parts of the vehicle on the roofs of nearby buildings.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made a surprise visit to Iraqi politicians in order to speed up the formation of the government, right when Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari is pressured by his fellow Shiites to withdraw from a second term.