Deadly military crash in Pakistan

Daredevil

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Deadly military crash in Pakistan

Pakistan uses military helicopters widely in the rugged north-west region
Up to 26 Pakistani security personnel are feared dead after an army transport helicopter crashed in the tribal region of Orakzai, military officials say.

Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the BBC the helicopter crashed on the border of the Khyber and Orakzai tribal region.

The cause of the crash is unclear, although officials said the most likely explanation was a technical failure.

The crash comes as a suspected US drone strike in South Waziristan killed at least 10 militants, officials said.

The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Islamabad says it is understood the MI-17 helicopter had been flying back to Peshawar from the Afghan border region when the pilot put out a Mayday alert.

The helicopter then came down "in a hostile area" where it was fired upon by militants, according to officials.

Troops were sent in and exchanged fire with the insurgents.
Military officials said that an investigation into the crash would be carried out.

The north-west of Pakistan is currently the scene of heavy fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban militants.

Fighter planes are reported to have been attacking suspected Taliban positions in South and North Waziristan.

Unnamed intelligence officials said the drone attack in South Waziristan had targeted a militant training facility.

The region - on the Afghan border - is controlled by Pakistan's most senior Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
 

indian_sukhoi

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Rest in peace. Condolences to their loved ones!!!

That should be Mi-17 Helicopter which crashed. Pakistan doesnt have much of a Helicopter fleet, Some 6 Mi-17s they operate.

This may not be a accident. Reports say that the helicopter might have been hit by ground fire from militants. It crashed in hostile are, They was a huge operation going on to flush out the terrorist.
 

indian_sukhoi

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vijaytripoli

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Helicoptor Crashes -military, 26 Pakistani security personnel are feared dead

ISLAMABAD, July 3 - A Pakistani military helicopter crashed because of a technical failure in the northwestern Orakzai tribal region near the Afghan border on Friday, military officials said.

There were no details on casualties immediately available.

"It was a utility helicopter, and it crashed due to a technical fault," military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas told Reuters.

Pakistani military helicoptor crashes -military | Reuters
 

vijaytripoli

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Pakistan helicopter crashes in tribal area

Islamabad - A Pakistani cargo helicopter crashed Friday in Orakzai, in the country's semi-autonomous northwest tribal belt, the military said.

"This is a utility helicopter. Because of technical faults, it crashed in Orakzai agency. There is no confirmation of casualties," military spokesperson Major General Athar Abbas said.

Pakistan has been pressing a two-month battle to dislodge militants in three districts of the northwest and has waged air raids in South Waziristan in the tribal belt to lay the groundwork for a second front against the Taliban.

"There is no operation in Orakzai. It was flying over from a destination in FATA (federally administered tribal areas) and going back to Peshawar," Abbas said.


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vijaytripoli

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Up to 26 Pakistani security personnel are feared dead after an army transport helicopter crashed in the tribal region of Orakzai, military officials say.

Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the BBC the helicopter crashed on the border of the Khyber and Orakzai tribal region.

The cause of the crash is unclear, although officials said the most likely explanation was a technical failure.

The crash comes as a suspected US drone strike in South Waziristan killed at least 10 militants, officials said.

The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Islamabad says it is understood the MI-17 helicopter had been flying back to Peshawar from the northern tribal regions.

When the helicopter came down, it was fired upon by militants, according to officials.

Troops were then sent in and exchanged fire with the insurgents.

The north-west of Pakistan is currently the scene of heavy fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban militants.

Unnamed intelligence officials said the drone attack in South Waziristan had targeted a militant training facility.

The region - on the Afghan border - is controlled by Pakistan's most senior Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Deadly military crash in Pakistan
 

ZOOM

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PAF Helicopter crash kills 41 security personnel

PESHAWAR: Taliban militants Saturday claimed responsibility for a military helicopter crash that killed 41 people in the rugged tribal area in the country's north.
'We shot down the helicopter,' a spokesman for Taliban insurgents based in the nearby Darra Adam Khel region said in a telephone call to AFP.

The spokesman identifying himself as Muhammad said it was in retaliation for the Pakistani military operation in South Waziristan, a Taliban and Al-Qaeda stronghold.



A military spokesman rejected the claim, reiterating Saturday that the helicopter had crashed due to a 'technical fault.'



'Taliban militants frequently make false claims,' he added.



Forty-one security personnel on board a military transport helicopter were killed when it crashed in Chapri Ferozkhel area on the border of Khyber and Orakzai tribal regions on Friday afternoon, credible sources said.



According to officials, the helicopter crashed because of some technical fault.



Those killed included 19 personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Crops, 18 regulars from the army and four crew members, the sources said. However, officials said that 26 personnel had been killed.



According to the sources, most of the personnel on board were proceeding on leave.



The army spokesman was not available for comment, but a government official said the Russian-made M-17 transport helicopter had crashed in a mountainous area, some 20km from Peshawar, on the border between Khyber and Orakzai because of some technical fault.



‘All those on board the helicopter have been killed,’ the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release information to the media.



He said that paramilitary forces had cordoned off the area and efforts were being made to retrieve the bodies. ‘The area is remote and inaccessible.’



The sources said that pilots of the ill-fated helicopter had requested for emergency landing before the crash. ‘The copter might have come down because of overloading,’ they said.



The government official said the actual cause of the crash would be determined after a detailed examination of the wreckage. ‘It is a lengthy exercise.’



Witnesses said the helicopter was flying at a low altitude in an area of high mountains. It was going to Peshawar from Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency.



The official said: ‘The weather was bad and the copter was flying low. It could either be because of the bad weather or excess weight. But nothing can be said with certainty until we retrieve the wreckage.’



He said that militants had 12.7mm machine-guns which could easily hit helicopters flying at low altitude. ‘Combat and transport helicopters usually fly high to avoid fire from the ground.’



He said that paramilitary forces and helicopters had been sent to the area to retrieve the bodies and the wreckage.

The official said that helicopters had to fire some warning shots to keep the locals away from the crash site. ‘The area is infested with militants, so all precautionary measures are being taken to secure the area.’

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Helicopter crash kills 41 security personnel
 

ZOOM

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If Taliban has shot down this Mi-17, then certainly this is a wake up call for IA's Helicopter wing. We need to maintain constant vigilance on our border especially when there is a link between jehadi and PA, which create a prospect of use of Stringer missile by Jehadi's provided by PA.
 

I-G

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Taleban claim downing Pakistan Army chopper
Agencies

PESHAWAR: The Taleban claimed responsibility Saturday for a Pakistani helicopter crash that killed 26 security personnel, as helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant hideouts in the northwest.

“We shot down the helicopter,” a spokesman for Taleban insurgents based in the nearby Darra Adam Khel region told AFP.

The spokesman, identifying himself as Muhammad, said the helicopter had been targeted in retaliation for the Pakistani military operation in South Waziristan, a stronghold of the Taleban and Al-Qaeda.

The Pakistani military dismissed the Taleban claim, repeating an earlier statement that the crash was caused by a “technical fault.”

The MI-17 helicopter crashed on Friday on the border of the rugged semi-autonomous Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions and officials said nobody survived.

Pakistani warplanes and helicopter gunships pounded Taleban positions in the volatile northwest on Saturday, killing at least 12 insurgents, officials said, as the government kept up pressure on militants along the Afghan border.

Elsewhere in the northwest, clashes between tribesmen and Taleban fighters left 16 people dead in the latest violence between pro-government tribal militias and insurgents.

The government airstrikes hit three suspected militant positions in the Orakzai region, part of the rugged, lawless tribal belt along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, two security officials said.

Twelve Taleban fighters were killed and nine more were wounded, the officials said.

Islamabad has ramped up the pressure on Taleban militants across the volatile northwest in recent months. It is preparing for an offensive in South Waziristan, a region of the tribal belt where top Taleban and Al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be hiding.

The US, which launched a major offensive against the Taleban in Afghanistan this week, strongly supports Pakistan’s efforts to crack down on militants on its side of the frontier, believing it could help the US-led war in Afghanistan.

The fighting between tribesmen and militants took place in the remote Mohmand region, which also lies along the Afghan frontier.

Dozens of fighters attacked the tribal militia after receiving a warning from a council of tribal elders to leave the area, a local government official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Islamabad has encouraged local tribesmen in the semiautonomous frontier areas to establish militias — known as lashkars — to flush out Taleban fighters blamed for attacks in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan.

Taleban claim downing Pakistan Army chopper
 

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