Tunisia's army chief of staff was among 12 people killed in the crash of an army helicopter, the defense minister said Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Abdelaziz Skik, the army's chief of staff, was among those who died when the helicopter crashed Tuesday after a surveillance mission in the northwestern Kef region, near the border with Algeria, Tunisia’s Defense Minister Dali Jazi said.
The crash occurred in the Medjez El Bab region, about 60 kilometers northwest of the capital.
"The tragic accident had left several victims among the helicopter passengers," the government statement said yesterday. No wind or bad weather was reported in the area on Tuesday.
Skik was named to the top army post about five months ago after a long career with Tunisia's armed forces. Among other assignments, Skik led a Tunisian contingent to Cambodia in 1992, which was part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission that facilitated general elections in the Southeast Asian country. (Albawaba.com)
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