The Algerian army command used Russian-made Mi-26 helicopters to extinguish forest fires. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic on its Facebook page on Thursday.
Helicopters Mi-26 are involved in extinguishing fires in inaccessible areas in the provinces of Tizi-Ouzou (1st military district) and Bejaia (5th military district) in the north. The Mi-26 has a high payload and high accuracy, especially in hard-to-reach areas and difficult conditions caused by extensive fires, the defense ministry said in a statement. To prevent the spread of the fire, the military uses a variety of equipment, including bulldozers.
According to the General Directorate of Forestry of Algeria, 103 forest fires have been recorded in the country since the beginning of the week, of which 68 remained active as of August 11. To fight the disaster the authorities were forced to rent two specialized aircraft from the European Union. At the same time, the government of Morocco expressed its willingness to send aircraft to help its neighbors.
According to the latest information, the fires killed 65 people, 37 civilians and 28 members of the Algerian army. In this connection, a three-day mourning period was declared in the country from August 12.
Algeria is among Russia's important partners in military-technical cooperation. In 2013, a contract was signed to supply 42 Mi-28N attack helicopters and six Mi-26T2 transport helicopters.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials of TASS