Lebanon Army Says Helicopter Crash Kills Two Personnel

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

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.



Lebanese Man Who’s Lived through Multiple Wars Says This One Has Been the Worst

A man rides his scooter past the debris of a destroyed building, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
A man rides his scooter past the debris of a destroyed building, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Lebanese Man Who’s Lived through Multiple Wars Says This One Has Been the Worst

A man rides his scooter past the debris of a destroyed building, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
A man rides his scooter past the debris of a destroyed building, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Mohammed Kaafarani has lived through multiple conflicts with Israel. But he says the past two months were the worst of them all.

“They were a nasty and ugly 60 days,” said Kaafarani, 59, who was displaced from the Lebanese village of Bidias, near the southern port city of Tyre.

Thousands of displaced people poured into the city Wednesday after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect.

Kaafarani said the latest war was the most difficult because the bombardment was so intense. “We reached a point where there was no place to hide. Even buildings were destroyed.”

He said Tyre was left almost empty as most of its residents fled.

Kaafarani said he hopes his children and grandchildren will have a better future without wars because “our generation suffered and is still suffering.”

“The last two months were way too long,” said Kaafarani, whose home was badly damaged in the fighting. He vowed to fix it and continue on with life.