Helicopter Crashes In Libya During Medical Evacuation, Killing Three

 

A helicopter crashed in southeastern Libya during a medical evacuation mission, killing a medic and two crew members, state media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Libyan News Agency (LANA), the aircraft went down overnight near an airbase in the Kufra region, approximately 60 kilometres north of the Libyan-Chadian border.

The helicopter had been dispatched to evacuate a soldier injured in a road accident in the desert. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and the condition of the injured soldier remains unclear.

Media reports said two of those killed were foreign nationals, though this information has not been officially confirmed.

The crash occurred near the Matan al-Sarra airbase, an area controlled by Libya’s eastern administration based in Benghazi. Authorities in the east have not issued any comment on the incident.

Libya remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west. The western government, led by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah and backed by the United Nations, oversees LANA.

The country continues to face instability following the 2011 uprising that led to the fall and death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.