A combo image shows the chopper crashing onto the sea.

Gulf Today Report

An Algerian military helicopter crashed off the port of Bouharoun on Wednesday afternoon. 

A search has been underway to locate the missing soldiers.

Algerian Ministry of Defense said that the military helicopter that fell in the middle of the sea while carrying out a training flight mission.

A video showed the damaged chopper falling in to the sea.

Local television broadcasted an amateur video footage showing the helicopter turning around and loosing control before crashing into a calm sea, not far from Bouharoun locality.

It was learned that the pilot was killed while a wide scale search operation is underway by Coast Guards units to rescue the rest of the missing crewmembers.

The Algerian Defense Ministry has not issued any statement to confirm the incident.

Last year in May, a military helicopter crashed in the province of El Oued. Two crewmembers were injured.