Helicopter carrying 5 senior Guyana military officials is missing near tense border with Venezuela

By BERT WILKINSON
Associated Press

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A military helicopter carrying seven people has vanished near Guyana’s border with Venezuela. Authorities note there was bad weather in the area and stressing there was no indication it might have been hit by hostile fire amid an ongoing diplomatic spat between both countries. Army Chief Brig. Gen. Omar Khan said late Wednesday that two crew members aboard the helicopter were taking five senior officers on an inspection of troops guarding a border area that Venezuela claims as its own. Asked if the aircraft was shot out of the sky as it flew in a mountainous and heavily forested area, Khan said there are no indications suggesting that occurred.