Two British soldiers have been injured after their helicopter plunged into the sea off eastern Oman, according to a British military spokesman.
"I can confirm that a Lynx helicopter from Britain's Royal Navy ditched into the sea yesterday afternoon. The two British soldiers on board escaped with minor injuries," he told reporters today.
He said the helicopter fell from the sky off Masirah Island, the site of one of Oman's biggest airbases.
"It is not known what had caused the crash but it is (being) investigated," said the British military spokesman. He did not elaborate.
Some 23,000 British troops have been using Masirah Island during month-long military exercises expected to last until the end of October.
Britain said on yesterday it would keep some troops in Oman after the end of the joint war games with the Gulf Arab state to support US-led military strikes on Afghanistan.
Britain is earmarking 200 Royal Marine Commandos for use as ground forces in Afghanistan and another 400 commandos are expected to return home from Oman but stay on high alert.