An Israeli military helicopter with six Israeli soldiers and one Romanian on board has crashed in central Romania, the country’s defense ministry says.

Spokesman Constantin Spanu said the CH-53 transport helicopter had come down near the town of Zarnesti, about 120km (75 miles) north-west of Bucharest.

Local media say there have been fatalities, but this was not confirmed.

According to DNA News, six Israeli Soliders have R”L been killed.

Initial reports had said US military personnel were on board the aircraft, which was taking part in an exercise.

Romanian and Israeli troops are participating in Blue Sky 2010, an 11-day exercise during which they are practising flying at low altitude for search and rescue missions.

Mr Spanu said the CH-53 had lost radio contact in the middle of the afternoon, and that rescue crews were on their way to the crash site.

Witnesses in the city of Brasov told the Antena 3 television station that they had seen three helicopters flying towards the Leaota and Bucegi mountains when smoke suddenly started coming out of one of them.

On 18 July, the defence ministry said an Israeli CH-53 participating in the exercise had crash landed after “sensing a failure aboard”.

(Source: BBC)