A training aircraft crash in the eastern Mediterranean claims the lives of five US soldiers.

Five American service members have died in a helicopter crash in the eastern Mediterranean, the US military says.

It claims that during a routine training exercise, the aircraft experienced an incident while refueling.

Since Hamas and Israel’s conflict began, the US has expanded its operations in the region.

In honoring the victims, President Joe Biden stated that military personnel “put their lives on the line for our country every day.”

“We pray for the families of all our fallen warriors today and every day,” he stated.

The location of the crash and the aircraft’s flight path were not disclosed in the military statement.

However, in the last month, the US has dispatched ships, aircraft, and two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean.

The deployment is a response to American worries that other regions in the region might become involved in the confrontation between Israel and Hamas.

The US is especially keen to keep Lebanon’s influential Hezbollah organization out of the war.

Iran, which also supplies and finances Hamas, supports it.