Lebanon Army Says Helicopter Crash Kills Two Personnel

A military helicopter ( Lebanese Army)
A military helicopter ( Lebanese Army)
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Lebanon Army Says Helicopter Crash Kills Two Personnel

A military helicopter ( Lebanese Army)
A military helicopter ( Lebanese Army)

Two Lebanese military personnel were killed when a helicopter crashed during a training flight east of Beirut on Wednesday, the army said in a statement.

"An air force helicopter crashed in the Hammana area during a training flight, killing two personnel and injuring one other," it said, AFP reported.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and the statement did not say what type of helicopter was involved.

Lebanon's economy has been in free fall since late 2019.

The economic crisis -- which the World Bank says is one of the planet's worst in modern times -- has plunged more than 80 percent of the population into poverty.

It has also taken a toll on public institutions including the military.

After the meltdown began, the army cut back on basics such as meat in soldiers' meals and in 2021 it even introduced helicopter joyrides for tourists in a bid to boost its coffers.



Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Vows to Continue Fighting Israel

20 November 2024, Iraq, Baghdad: A view of an empty street near Baghdad's Tahrir square during a nationwide curfew restricting movement of citizens through the census period. (dpa)
20 November 2024, Iraq, Baghdad: A view of an empty street near Baghdad's Tahrir square during a nationwide curfew restricting movement of citizens through the census period. (dpa)
TT

Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Vows to Continue Fighting Israel

20 November 2024, Iraq, Baghdad: A view of an empty street near Baghdad's Tahrir square during a nationwide curfew restricting movement of citizens through the census period. (dpa)
20 November 2024, Iraq, Baghdad: A view of an empty street near Baghdad's Tahrir square during a nationwide curfew restricting movement of citizens through the census period. (dpa)

One of the most powerful Iran-backed factions in Iraq said it would continue its operations in support of Gaza despite the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Iraqi militias have repeatedly launched attacks on Israel from Iraq in the nearly 14 months since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.

In a statement, the Kataib Hezbollah group said that the ceasefire would not have been possible without the “resilience of Hezbollah fighters and the failure of the Zionists to achieve their objectives, making the decision solely Lebanese.”

The group said that a pause by one member of the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes Iran-backed groups from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, would not undermine the broader “unity of fronts” strategy.

The militia also said the US had been Israel’s partner “in all acts of betrayal, killing, destruction and displacement,” and said it “will eventually have to pay for its actions.”