Four soldiers were killed after a Turkish military S-70 helicopter crashed in the eastern province of Malatya on Thursday.

"Four of our fellow soldiers were killed when our S-70 helicopter crashed in Malatya for reasons yet to be determined," the Defense Ministry said, The Caspian Post reports, citing Daily Sabah.

The ministry extended condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and prayed for God's mercy upon them.

The helicopter went down in the Samanköy neighborhood of Malatya's Yeşilyurt district, where a fire broke out at the crash site and spread to a nearby house, according to initial reports.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the area and extinguished the flames.

The Defense Ministry confirmed the crash in a statement, saying the cause remained unknown and search-and-rescue efforts began immediately after teams reached the wreckage.

There was no immediate official information on casualties.