PARIS, Rabi'II 09, 1437, January 19, 2016, SPA -- An avalanche in the French Alps swept away a military unit training in the backcountry, killing five soldiers from the French Foreign Legion and injuring several others Monday, officials said, according to AP. The Savoie prefecture confirmed the deaths, and said 11 people out of a group of about 50 were struck by the avalanche. It said the soldiers were training off-piste in Valfrejus in the Savoie region. Jean-Claude Raffin, mayor of Modane, the nearest town, said the soldiers were out for an all-day backcountry skiing session when the avalanche hit. The prefecture said six people were injured, two of them seriously. --SPA 01:29 LOCAL TIME 22:29 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w