"The accident occurred during a normal manoeuvre and the aircraft's descent," ministry spokesman Mohamed Zekri told AFP.

"The helicopter crew, which consisted of two personnel, was taken to the military hospital in Gafsa. One of them died and the other was in stable condition."

The ministry did not specify the type of helicopter involved.

The Tunisian military has lost several aircraft on training or reconnaissance missions in recent years.

In June 2023, four personnel died when a helicopter crashed off the country's northwest coast.

In October 2021, three were killed in another accident during a night exercise in the southern province of Gabes.