A military helicopter crash has killed five officials in Cote D’Ivoire, the Ivorian Defence Ministry confirmed on Friday.
The helicopter, which had five people on board was on a reconnaissance mission and had gotten lost in the country’s northern border.
According to the Ministry, the helicopter – an MI 24 attack helicopter was seen 1 mile north of Togokolaye before the crash.
“All five occupants perished in the accident, and an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the tragedy,” the Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The Ivorian Army has vowed to support the families of the deceased as it expressed its grievances with the loss, in a region that has been terrorised by militants.
Information by the Ministry of Defence also suggested that the helicopter had lost all forms of contact and control with the monitoring station around past midnight. It was in the area of Ferkessedougou, according to the ministry.
An investigation has been launched into the incidences surrounding the crash, with the military previously recording militants attack in the past in the northern region, where it shares a border with troubled Burkina Faso.
In June 2020, fourteen soldiers were killed by the suspected militants with another three killed in the same location in March. In June 2021, two soldiers and a gendarme were also killed in the region after running over an explosive device.