Five U.S. special operations troops were killed in a helicopter that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a training mission.
The US European Command, Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, commonly known as EUCOM, said the accident occurred during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.
He added that all five service members on board the helicopter died.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen,” the military said in a statement.
After the accident, search and rescue operations got underway shortly thereafter.
Gen. Christopher added that the exact cause of the crash and what happened are not yet known, but the incident is still being looked into.
“We can definitively say that the aircraft sortie was purely related to training, and there are no indications of hostile activity, said EUCOM.
European Command previously stated, emphasising that the incident was unrelated to Israel’s fighting in Gaza or the fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border.
President of the United States Joe Biden said in a statement on his Twitter handle, “Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who have lost a precious loved one—a piece of their soul. Our entire nation shares their grief.”