BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. helicopter was shot down by insurgents near Baghdad on Monday but its two pilots escaped with only minor wounds, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

"An AH-64 Apache helicopter rescued (the) pilots after enemy fire brought down their OH-58D Kiowa Attack helicopter south of Baghdad," the military said in a statement.

It said a U.S. warplane destroyed the damaged helicopter with two large laser-guided bombs after the pilots were evacuated.