At least 20 soldiers have died! The President of Nigeria has issued a statement stating that a military plane has been hit by armed militants on a helicopter | in the region | by armed militants
According to an Associated Press report from Abuja, Nigeria on August 16th, witnesses reported on the 16th that a fatal attack occurred in the central northern region of Nigeria. A helicopter sent to rescue military personnel crashed after being hit by armed militants, resulting in the death of passengers on board.
The Nigerian Air Force said that the Mi-171 helicopter was carrying out a "casualty transfer mission" in Niger state, which is one of the states in northern Nigeria most severely affected by deadly attacks carried out by bandits.
The Air Force stated that it is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash and cannot provide specific casualties yet.
In June 2021, a Nigerian military helicopter was conducting a drill.
![At least 20 soldiers have died! The President of Nigeria has issued a statement stating that a military plane has been hit by armed militants on a helicopter | in the region | by armed militants](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/fc7beebc9eed736b2fb01411dbcfb9c3.jpg)
Local residents said that the helicopter was shot down by bandits in the Hiroro area of the state, while the plane was transporting soldiers who were injured and killed in an earlier attack.
Nigerian President Bola Tenub issued a statement on the evening of the 15th expressing condolences for the victims. He said, "They paid the highest price in the process of serving our beloved country."
According to local villagers, they witnessed the process of armed militants shooting down helicopters. It is reported that at least 20 soldiers died in the plane crash and the attack that triggered the rescue operation.