A US Apache helicopter crashed near the northern Iraqi oil centre of Kirkuk, wounding two people, military spokesman said.

"An Apache helicopter went down in the vicinity of Kirkuk around 10 am this morning," said a spokesman for the 42nd Infantry Division, responsible for the area.

"There are two injured who are being medevaced out," he added.

He said the cause of the crash was still under investigation.

A similar Apache helicopter had crashed on June 27 in the northwest of Baghdad killing two crewmen, while an unmanned aircraft crashed on Wednesday near the main northern city of Mosul.

US forces have faced an upsurge in resistance attacks with some 50 troops killed in the past three weeks, taking total military losses in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to 1,840, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.

The helicopter crash came as political haggling intensified ahead of Monday's deadline for a final draft of a new Iraqi constitution.

PHOTO CAPTION

The casket of U.S. Marine in Glastonbury Aug 11 2005. (AP)