Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — The Egyptian military is said to have lost a helicopter to
enemy fire.

Egyptian sources said members of a smuggling convoy opened fire on a
military helicopter on late April 20 near the border with Libya. They said
the helicopter, identified as a Russian-origin Mi-17, crashed and one pilot
was killed.

“[Arms] traffickers shot down a Egyptian military during the hunt for
them in the New Valley province,” Egyptian state television said.

The television, quoting police sources, said on April 21 that the Mi-17
was searching for arms smugglers from Libya in southwest Egypt. The report said 20 ambulances as well as military units were sent to the crash site.

Hours later, the Egyptian military acknowledged the downing of the
Mi-17, but denied any ground fire. A military statement said an engine
malfunction forced the helicopter to make an emergency landing in which
nobody was killed.

“There are no losses, either in lives or to the plane itself,” Egyptian
military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said.

This marked the first report of the downing of a military aircraft in an
attack. In 2012, Egyptian sources reported anti-aircraft fire toward
military aircraft in the turbulent Sinai Peninsula.

  Arms smugglers down Egyptian military helicopter near Libyan border, Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali, Russian-origin Mi-17 helicopter, Sinai Peninsula