Eurasia Press & News
The American, French and Czech members of the peacekeeping force crashed conducting a routine mission and one US soldier survived.
A helicopter crash on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula left eight peacekeepers dead on Thursday.
The helicopter belonging to the Multinational Force and Observers was conducting a routine mission near the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Eight soldiers died, six from the United States, one from France and one from the Czech Republic. One American soldier survived and was medically evacuated from the scene, the Multinational Force and Observers said in a statement.
The Multinational Force and Observers consists of uniformed soldiers from around the world who supervise the implementation of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
The force said there is no reason to suspect an attack, though the incident is under investigation.
“At this point, there is no information to indicate the crash was anything except an accident,” read the statement.
The United States considered withdrawing its troops from the Sinai Peninsula earlier this year. Israeli officials said they should stay at the time.
The Department of Defense expressed its condolences for the victims in a statement sent to Al-Monitor. It read, “The Defense Department is deeply saddened by the loss of six US and two partner nation service members in a helicopter crash in the Sinai Peninsula operating with the United Nations Multinational Force and Observers.”
