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The attackers who shot down a U.S. military helicopter in Iraq have been killed.

That word comes from U.S. Central Command, which says a military aircraft fired on the ground forces in Iraq who shot down the Army Apache helicopter.

Major Brad Lowell says the attack succeeded in killing the hostile forces.

The helicopter was shot down in western Iraq. Neither of the two crew members was injured. They were rescued almost immediately as coalition troops secured the crash site.

It was the first military aircraft downed by ground fire since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime two months ago.

Meanwhile, Central Command says an F-16 fighter-bomber has crashed southwest of Baghdad. The pilot safely ejected and was rescued by ground forces. The cause of the crash is unknown.