Pakistan Army helicopter crashes in Balochistan, all six on board killed

The Pakistan Armed Forces' public relations wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Monday that a Pakistan army helicopter had crashed while flying a mission near Khost in Harnai, in Balochistan Province.

All six onboard the rotary-wing craft were killed in the incident, including two officers of the rank of Major.

ISPR identified the deceased servicemen as 39-year-old Major Khurram Shahzad (pilot), 30-year-old Major Muhammad Muneeb Afzal (pilot), 44-year-old Subedar Abdul Wahid, 27-year-old Sepoy Muhamad Imran, 30-year-old Naik Jalil, and 35-year-old Sepoy Shoaib.

The causes of the crash, as well as the type of helicopter involved, were not immediately known.

This is the second time in the last two months that a Pakistani military helicopter has crashed in the restive Balochistan Province, home to a decades-long insurgency seeking to carve out an independent Baloch homeland.

On August 1, a Pakistan Army helicopter that went missing in Balochistan was reported to have crashed, leading to the deaths of all 6 onboard, including a Lietenant General, two Brigadiers and two Majors.

According to initial investigations, the crash occurred due to inclement weather. Commander of the Pakistan Army's XII Corps, Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali, who was supervising flood relief operations in Balochistan, was among the deceased.