Pakistan army helicopter crashes in Kashmir, no survivors reported

TLE Desk: A Pakistani military helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, killing all personnel on board, according to the country’s military, reports AFP.

In a statement, the military’s media wing said the Mi-17 helicopter belonging to Pakistan Army Aviation went down shortly after take-off due to a technical fault.

“An Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad today during take-off due to technical fault,” the statement said.

The military added that “all personnel on board embraced Shahadat (martyrdom),” but did not disclose the number of victims.

No immediate details were provided regarding the identities or ranks of those killed in the crash.

Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has witnessed heightened security measures in recent days amid tensions surrounding planned demonstrations by a protest movement recently banned under anti-terrorism laws.

The region of Kashmir remains one of South Asia’s most sensitive flashpoints. Both India and Pakistan claim the territory in full but administer separate portions of it following their partition and independence from British rule in 1947.

The disputed Himalayan region has been the cause of multiple wars and recurring military confrontations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.