Sept. 19 (UPI) — Four U.S. Army special operations soldiers who were aboard an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed likely are dead, Army officials announced on Friday.

The helicopter crashed in Washington state at about 9 p.m. PDT Wednesday and caused a 1-acre fire that hampered efforts to reach the four Army soldiers that it carried, including its pilot.

The soldiers were assigned to the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment that is headquartered at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and often operates at night, earning its soldiers the “Night Stalkers” designation.

“Our hearts are with the families, friends and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, as reported by CBS News.

“They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations,” Braga added. “Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

The Army has not released the four soldiers’ names, according to The Seattle Times.

The helicopter crashed in a rural location about 40 miles west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which is about 50 miles south of Seattle.

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment has two battalions based at Fort Campbell and one each at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The unit lost five soldiers during a training exercise accident in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in November 2023.