A Pakistani army helicopter has crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir following a reported technical fault, with all personnel on board killed, the military said on Wednesday.
According to the military’s media wing, the Mi-17 helicopter went down during take-off near the city, which lies in a highly sensitive region long affected by tensions between Pakistan and India.
“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 statement said, without disclosing the number of casualties.
No survivors were reported from the crash.
Kashmir remains a heavily militarised and politically sensitive region, with both Pakistan and India claiming the territory in full but administering separate parts since their independence from Britain. The region has witnessed decades of conflict, including wars and frequent cross-border skirmishes.
The crash occurred amid heightened security in Muzaffarabad in recent days, following tensions linked to planned demonstrations by a protest movement that was later banned under anti-terrorism laws.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the cause of the technical fault or the identities of those killed.
