Pakistan Army Mi-17 Crash Near Muzaffarabad Kills All Aboard

Pakistan’s military says everyone travelling on an army aviation helicopter died after the aircraft crashed close to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said the Mi-17 went down during takeoff because of a technical fault, according to a report by Dawn newspaper. The military statement did not give a figure for the number of personnel killed.

“All personnel on board embraced martyrdom. There were no survivors,” the ISPR said. It said rescue and recovery teams got to the scene immediately after the crash.

The military’s media wing said “a board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident.”

Muzaffarabad has seen a strong security deployment in recent days after members of a protest movement announced plans for demonstrations. The planned protests came shortly after the local government banned the group under antiterror laws.

On Sunday, at least 11 people died in Rawalakot, the capital of Poonch district, during clashes involving police and protesters. Since then, authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have brought in federal paramilitary forces and issued a strict travel advisory for the region.