Poso Helicopter Accident Kills at Least 12 People

Palu, Central Sulawesi, 11 Jumadil Akhir 1437/21 March 2016 (MINA) – At least 12 military officers were killed and one was still reportedly missing when their helicopter crashed in the district of Poso, Central Sulawesi, on Sunday, police said.

Poso Police Chief Adjutant Senior Commissioner Roni said among the victims was Todulako military regiment commander Colonel Saiful Anwar.

Meanwhile, Head of the Public Information Department of the Indonesian Armed Forces Colonel Berlin Z said that 12 people have been found, all of them dead. Another was still missing.

According to Berlin, poor weather condition was blamed for the accident.

The ill-fated chopper, Bell 412 EP, crashed near the village of Kasiguncu on Sunday at 18.55 local time on routine task, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Antara News..

The jungles in the mountains in the district of Poso are known to be the hiding places of long sought terrorist group led by Santoso, who are the backer of the global IS group in Indonesia and have carried out or are linked to several deadly strikes in the country. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)