Envoys of Philippines and Norway among seven dead; Taliban claim responsibility, Army denies terrorist angle
Islamabad : Envoys of the Philippines and Norway and the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors were among seven persons killed when a Pakistani military helicopter on Friday crashed in the PoK as the Taliban claimed responsibility for the downing of the chopper and said premier Nawaz Sharif was their target.
Pakistan Army, however, ruled out the possibility of any terrorist or subversive activity in the crash in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan in the north and said the chopper crashed due to a technical fault while landing.
Leif H Larsen, the Norwegian envoy, and Domingo D Lucenario Jr of the Philippines were killed along with the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors, besides two army pilots and a Pakistani crew member in the helicopter that caught fire as it crashed into a school.
Six Pakistanis and 11 foreigners were on board the Mi-17 helicopter that was making an emergency landing when it crashed in Naltar valley, setting the school building ablaze, according to initial reports.
“Update Naltar:7 Fatalities.Foreigners-4(Ambs Norway,Philipine,wife of Amb Indonesia,Malaysia).Pakistani-3; two pilots,one crew member-6,” military spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa tweeted.
Polish ambassador Andrzej Ananiczolish and Dutch ambassador Marcel de Vink were also injured. The army pilots were identified as Major Altamash and Major Faisal.
Sharif’s plane was already airborne for Naltar where he was scheduled to inaugurate two projects but it was diverted back to Islamabad following the “tragic” news of the crash.
Bajwa said that three Mi-17 military helicopters were carrying diplomats from 37 countries to Naltar where Sharif was to address a ceremony.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility for the downing of the helicopter and said Sharif was their target.
“The helicopter was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile, killing pilots and many foreign ambassadors,” according to a statement in Urdu emailed by the TTP’s main spokesman Muhammad Khorasani.
“A special group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had prepared a special plan to target Nawaz Sharif during his visit but he survived because he was travelling in another helicopter,” he said.
“Nawaz Sharif and his colleagues are our target. We will soon show the world the shoulder launch missile which was used in the attack,” the militants said.
Bajwa said the helicopter crashed due to a technical fault.
“Two of the helicopters landed safely but the third one crashed and caught fire,” Bajwa said.
