A French helicopter Aérospatiale Gazelle crashed on Tuesday afternoon in Modeste, a village located about ten kilometers east of the Ivorian economic capital, close to the coast.

A French soldier was killed and another seriously injured Tuesday in the crash.

The Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter belongs to the French Forces in Côte d’Ivoire (FFCI), which have a large base near Abidjan airport.

The FFCI houses more than 950 servicemen, and constitute the main French base on the African Atlantic coast. This military base is used in particular in the Operation Barkhane groups in the Sahel. A counter-terror fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel

The immediate cause of the accident is still unknown however, the French Accident Investigation Bureau of the transport ministry (AIBTM) is on the scene after the incident, according to security sources.

The Aérospatiale Gazelle is a light scout and transport helicopter, which can undertake a variety of roles like anti-tank, reconnaissance, liaison and border patrols.