A Pakistan Army helicopter has crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with military authorities confirming that all occupants on board lost their lives.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the military’s media wing said the Mi-17 helicopter 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 there were no survivors.
“All personnel on board embraced Shahadat (martyrdom),” it stated, without revealing the exact number of casualties.
The crash occurred in the sensitive Kashmir region, an area that has remained at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. The two nuclear-armed neighbours have fought multiple wars and experienced repeated military tensions over the region.
The incident comes amid heightened security measures in Muzaffarabad, where authorities have increased their presence following plans by members of a protest movement to hold demonstrations despite a government ban imposed under anti-terrorism laws.
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority territory claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, has been divided between the two countries since their independence from British rule in 1947.
