Pakistani military helicopter crashes during night raid
An army helicopter crashed during a night raid in Balochistan province near the city of Khost in southwestern Pakistan. All six people on board were killed, including two pilots. The youngest soldier was 27 years old, the oldest - 44 years old.
The accident occurred in the Ernai district, about 120 km north of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. The military command did not provide any further details about the accident and the purpose of the night mission, issuing a lengthy statement.
- said in a statement.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences and prayed for the fallen soldiers and their families on September 25. Local opposition leader and former Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry demanded a security assessment of the Pakistan Army's helicopters.
Authorities said they would investigate the incident, the second helicopter crash in the past two months. On August 1, an army helicopter crashed in the Lasbela area of Balochistan during a flood relief operation. The accident then also killed 6 people, including high-ranking Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali.
Balochistan is a key player in China's One Belt, One Road project. At the same time, Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, is the center of a long-standing separatist movement. Various militias in the province have already reported attacks on Pakistani security forces. But so far, no group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's crash.
The current plane crash comes days after insurgents kidnapped two security personnel in the region. Since then, the secret services have been trying to find and save their colleagues. The failed night air mission could be connected with this.
The names of the dead soldiers of the army of Pakistan are named:
Information