Army helicopter missing in Kazakhstan's Almaty Region

ALMATY -- A Kazakh Air Defense Forces EC-145 military helicopter with three crew members aboard disappeared from radar during a scheduled flight in Kazakhstan's Almaty Region, the country's defense ministry said Friday.

Search and rescue operations are currently underway, the ministry said. Emergency response units from Kazakhstan's Ministry for Emergency Situations, along with two helicopters from Kazaviaspas, a subordinate rescue unit of the ministry, were immediately dispatched to the area.

More than 100 personnel and 15 units of equipment, including aircraft and drones, have been deployed, according to the official Kazinform News Agency.

At the request of the Kazakh Defense Ministry, a special commission has been sent to the site to investigate the circumstances of the incident. Additional information will be provided when available, the ministry said.