An army helicopter carrying supplies to troops crashed in a rural area in northern Colombia on Monday, killing nine soldiers aboard, the country’s armed forces said. According to a statement from the Colombian military, the helicopter was transporting supplies to the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur, an area that has recently seen clashes between the military and the drug trafficking group known as the Gulf Clan. The military statement described the helicopter crash as an accident. “I regret the death of the nine passengers on the army’s helicopter” President wrote on Monday. “It was supplying troops…that were conducting operations against the Gulf Clan.” The military said the helicopter crashed around 1:50 pm local time. It was an MI-17 Russian-built chopper that is often used to carry troops and supplies. Two officers were among the victims of the crash, which also included two sergeants and three privates. None of the passengers on the helicopter survived.