Four US soldiers have been killed in plane crash during a NATO military exercise in Norway, the country’s prime minister has said.

Jonas Gahr Støre has expressed his “deepest sympathies” to the families and colleagues of those who died after the MV-22B Osprey belonging to the US Marine Corps went down in a remote region on Friday.

Rescue services reached the crash site by land early on Saturday after helicopters were unable to land due to poor
weather conditions.

It is with great sadness we have recived the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night. The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.

There were gale-force winds, heavy rain and the risk of avalanches, according to local forecasts.

Mr Støre wrote on Twitter: “It is with great sadness we have received the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night.

“The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response.

“Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers’ families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.”

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An investigation has been launched into the crash but it has been hampered by bad weather.

The search operation was launched after the aircraft was reported missing when it failed to arrive at the Arctic Circle municipality of Bodø.

Around 30,000 troops from 27 countries are involved in Cold Response, an exercise designed to prepare NATO member countries for the defence of Norway.

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