Six American troops are dead on Thursday along with two international officials in a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crash off the coast of Egypt.
International peacekeeping mission Multinational Force and Observers confirmed the crash in a statement on Thursday, saying “eight uniformed MFO members were killed; six U.S. citizens, one French, and one Czech.”
One member of the force survived and was evacuated, MFO said.
Israeli and Egyptian officials also confirmed the crash to Fox News, who said six U.S. troops were killed and the sole survivor was also a U.S. troop.
The individuals were serving on a “routine mission in the vicinity of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.”
“At this point, there is no information to indicate the crash was anything except an accident,” MFO said.
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Chris Miller released a statement also confirming the U.S. troops’ deaths.
“The Defense Department is deeply saddened by the loss of six U.S. and two partner nation service members in a helicopter crash in the Sinai Peninsula operating with the United Nations Multinational Force and Observers (MFO),” Miller said. “Yesterday we recognized the sacrifice of millions of American veterans who have defended our nation for generations, and today we are tragically reminded of the last full measure our uniformed warriors may pay for their service.”
Service members who support the MSO help to oversee the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
