|
7 peacekeepers killed in military helicopter crash in
 [Jpost] A military helicopter crashed in the Sinai province of Egypt, near the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday, killing seven peacekeepers.Of those killed, five were Americans, one was French and one was from the Czech Republic; they were part of the international peacekeeping force, according to the Agence La Belle France-Presse, citing an anonymous Israeli source. The force, known as the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) office in Israel, confirmed there had been a helicopter accident but declined to give further comment pending an investigation. Israel Air Force's search-and-rescue unit evacuated one person at death's door to Soroka-University Medical Center in Beersheba, according to Ynet. The MFO has 1,154 military personnel from the United States and 12 other countries covering an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,860 square miles) in the Sinai. Some 452 of the personnel are American.
An informed source told Ahram Online the crash took place near Tiran Island in the Red Sea, denying reports the accident occurred in the Sinai Peninsula. The helicopter had nine personnel on board, the MFO said on its website, adding they were on a routine mission. The injured peacekeeper was medically evacuated. The statement added the victims were six US nationals, a French, and a Czech. Related: Multinational Force and Observers: 2016-04-07 Fearing jihadis, US said to mull pulling troops from north Sinai Multinational Force and Observers: 2015-11-19 Israel warns against peacekeeping 'restructure' in Egyptian Sinai Multinational Force and Observers: 2015-09-10 'US beefing up protection for Sinai peacekeepers,' Pentagon official tells AP Related: Red Sea: 2020-10-26 Booby traps left inside Sinai homes by IS kill at least 14 civilians Red Sea: 2020-09-25 Saudi Arabia warns UN of oil in Red Sea near abandoned tanker Red Sea: 2020-09-12 A twitter thread on the MidEast worth looking at. Posted by: trailing wife 2020-11-13 |
|
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=587265 |