Maha Christopher
All occupants of a Pakistani military helicopter were killed on Wednesday after the aircraft crashed shortly after take off near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan administered Kashmir.
According to AFP, the Pakistan military said the Mi-17 helicopter went down due to a technical fault during take off.
“A Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad today during take-off due to a technical fault. All personnel on board embraced Shahadat (martyrdom),” the military’s media wing said in a statement.
The military did not disclose the number of personnel aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash.
Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan administered Kashmir, has witnessed heightened security in recent days following tensions surrounding planned demonstrations by members of a protest movement that was recently banned under anti terrorism laws.
The helicopter crash occurred in a region regarded as strategically sensitive because of the long running dispute between Pakistan and India over Kashmir.
The Himalayan territory, which is claimed in full by both countries, has remained divided since their independence from British rule in 1947 and has been the flashpoint of several wars and military confrontations.
Authorities have not announced whether an investigation has been launched into the crash.
