SRINAGAR: A helicopter belonging to the Israeli Air Force crashed in the Jerusalem area during an operation to relocate a malfunctioning aircraft, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The incident occurred near Gush Etzion, close to a residential locality, with initial reports indicating that no one was injured, according to Cursor Info.
The crash took place during an effort to evacuate a “Yanshuf” helicopter that had been stranded for several days in a remote and hard-to-reach area and could not be recovered by ground means. To retrieve the aircraft, the Israeli Air Force deployed a heavy-lift “Yansur” transport helicopter to airlift the disabled helicopter.
However, during the operation, the fastening mechanisms securing the Yanshuf reportedly came loose, causing it to fall to the ground near a populated area. Authorities said no civilians were present in the immediate vicinity at the time of the incident.
The Israeli Air Force has launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the failure and to examine the circumstances leading to the crash.
The incident comes amid heightened Israeli military activity in the West Bank, where aerial operations, raids and arrests have increased significantly since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
