Eight peacekeepers die in helicopter crash in Sinai, Egypt

A helicopter carrying members of a multinational peacekeeping force has crashed near Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, killing six Americans, a Czech and a French citizen.

The US-led Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) said in a statement that all but one of the nine people onboard were killed when the aircraft went down “during a routine operation”.

Egypt has waged a years-long battle against Islamist militants in the Sinai. However, the MFO said there was “no information to indicate the crash was anything except an accident”, adding it would conduct an investigation.

The Israeli military said it had offered medical assistance to the peacekeepers involved in the crash, and that it had sent a search and rescue helicopter to evacuate the injured survivor – an American – to an Israeli hospital for medical treatment.

“We greatly appreciate the cooperation and support of Egypt and Israel in the recovery effort,” the MFO said.

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