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Helicopter crash near US southern border claims 3 lives

Agence France-Presse · Mar 9, 2024, 3:31 PM

(FILE) An Israeli soldier takes a photograph as smoke and flames are seen after an Israeli Apache gunship helicopter crashed while shooting a missile towards the southern Lebanese border, hitting high voltage lines 24 July 2006, near Reychnia. The pilot and gunner were both killed. Israel lost three such gunships during 13 days of war against the Lebanese based Hezbollah guerrillas. Washington has come under increasing pressure for bold action amid criticism it is stalling to allow Israel time to attempt to wipe out Hezbollah, which set off the conflict after seizing two Israeli soldiers on July 12. — HAIM AZULAY / AFP

Two soldiers and a US border agent died in a helicopter crash on Friday near the US-Mexico border, the US military said.

"A UH-72 Lakota helicopter assigned to the federal Southwest border support mission crashed... while conducting aviation operations near Rio Grande City, Texas," Joint Task Force North said in a statement.

"Two soldiers and one US Border Patrol agent were killed," it said, adding that a third soldier was injured.

"The cause of the accident is under investigation."

It occurred at around 2:50 PM (2150 GMT), according to JTF-N.

The aircraft went down in the town of La Grulla, Texas, located about 48 kilometers west of the city of McAllen, according to US media reports.