An Ethiopian military helicopter crashed on Thursday, killing 18 people, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcast Corporate reported.

The aircraft crashed on a flight between the eastern city of Dire Dawa and Bishoftu, in the centre of the country, the agency said.

Everyone on board — 15 soldiers and three civilians — was killed.

There were no immediate details about the cause of the crash.

In 2013, an Ethiopian military cargo plane crashed in Mogadishu, killing four crew members.