Five martyred as Pakistan Army helicopter crashes near GB’s Chilas: ISPR

Rawalpindi (Web Desk): A routine training flight ended in tragedy on Monday when an army helicopter crashed in Chilas, a town in the Diamer District of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), claiming the lives of all five personnel on board, the military’s media wing said on Monday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “On 1 Sep 25, at around 1000 hours, an MI-17 helicopter crash landed near Hudor village, approximately 12 kilometres away from Thakdas Cantonment.”

The statement added that the helicopter, which was on a scheduled training mission, experienced mechanical failure mid-flight, leading to the fatal crash.

The incident resulted in the martyrdom of all crew members aboard.

The military’s media wing stated that martyred personnel were identified as Major Atif, who was serving as the pilot in command; Major Faisal, the co-pilot; Flight Engineer Naib Subedar Maqbool; and crew chiefs Havaldar Jahangir and Naik Amir.

“The helicopter was on routine training flying when it developed a technical fault and crashed,” the statement added.

Training missions are part of routine activities of Army Aviation to maintain operational readiness for performing tasks varying from operational support to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

“Pakistan Army remains committed to ensuring readiness in all facets,” the ISPR said.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the crash of an Army Aviation training helicopter near the Thak Das cantonment area in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The president and the premier, in their separate statements, prayed for the elevation of ranks of the martyrs Major Atif, Major Faisal, Flight Engineer Maqbool, Havaldar Jahangir, and Naik Ameer in Jannah.

They also extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, praying that they find strength and patience during this difficult time.