Editor’s note: This is a developing story.
Two U.S. Army soldiers were rescued Monday after their AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said.
The crew was rescued by American forces within two hours, at 7:33 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the release. Both are in stable condition.
The helicopter was “patrolling regional waters,” according to the command, and the cause of the incident is under investigation.
U.S. Navy assets from Naval Forces Central Command, including Task Force 59, and the 82nd Airborne Division led the rescue, with assistance from the Air Force.
Task Force 59 is the Navy’s Bahrain-based unit, responsible for integrating artificial intelligence and unmanned systems into maritime operations in the U.S.’s Fifth Fleet Area of Operations, which includes the Strait of Hormuz.
ABC News reported on Tuesday that the crew members were rescued by an “unmanned surface vessel,” a detail that has not been publicly confirmed by Central Command.
Military Times has reached out to the command for comment.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.