The Tunisian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday the recovery of two bodies after a helicopter carrying 4 military personnel crashed near the coast of the governor of Bizerte, in the north of the country.
The ministry said in a statement that the helicopter fell into the open sea, and "the specialized diving units of the Army of the Sea are currently in the process of recovering the bodies, where so far two bodies and parts of the wreckage have been recovered." Tracing operations continue.
This morning, the ministry announced the loss of contact with a helicopter that was about to carry out a night flight mission in the "Cap Ceirat" area of the Bizerte governorate (north) on Wednesday evening.
The ministry confirmed the mobilization of "all land, sea and air means in coordination with the services of the Ministry of Interior to conduct research to determine their location and the status of its crew consisting of 4 members."
Similar incidents involving military helicopters have been repeated in the past during reconnaissance exercises or missions in Tunisia.
In October 2021, three military personnel were killed in an army helicopter crash during a night exercise in the southern province of Gabes, the Ministry of Defense reported at the time. The ministry then opened a technical investigation to determine the causes of the helicopter's downing.