Iraq helicopter crash kills one soldier during election duty

A soldier in the Iraqi army was killed, and another was injured following the crash of their helicopter due to a "technical malfunction" in northern Iraq, as reported by the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.

The ministry stated in a press release that the incident occurred late on Monday night during the "execution of duties supporting and providing security for the provincial council elections plan."

The statement added that a "technical malfunction" occurred during transportation, leading to "the aircraft's fall and crash after takeoff" from a military airport in Tuz Khurmatu in the south of Kirkuk province.

The statement continued, "The incident resulted in the martyrdom of Colonel Pilot Marwan Jalal, the aircraft commander, and the injury of Captain Pilot Alaa Salman."

Elections for provincial councils took place on Monday in a country that has suffered for years from jihadist attacks, conflicts, and prolonged wars. According to authorities, there were no significant security incidents.

The voter turnout for these elections, held for the first time in ten years, reached 41 percent, equivalent to 6.6 million voters out of 16.1 million registered voters, according to figures released Monday by the High Electoral Commission.

AFP