At least seven Turkish security personnel have died after a reconnaissance plane crashed in eastern Van province.

Interior minister Suleyman Soylu confirmed the tragedy with the state-owned Anadolu news agency.

Reports revealed that the reconnaissance plane crashed into Mount Artos, a dormant volcano in the province of Van with two pilots and five technical personnel on board.

The CNA report indicated that the 2015-model plane had been conducting “reconnaissance and surveillance” in Van since Monday and had been lost at around 10.45 pm on Wednesday before it crashed at an altitude of 2,200 m.

Meanwhile, investigators are working to determine the cause of the accident.