A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft crashed during a routine training mission near Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, killing both pilots on board. The military identified the deceased as Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the PAF and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy.
According to an official statement, the aircraft went down while on a scheduled training sortie. Air Headquarters in Islamabad has constituted a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.
Videos circulating on social media showed debris scattered across the crash site and injured passersby being rescued by local residents. Authorities have not released details on the condition or number of civilians affected.
Field Marshal Asim Munir, the service chiefs and personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces expressed grief over the loss of the two officers and conveyed condolences to their families. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to the pilots, praising their service and offering prayers for the bereaved families.
The incident marks the second military aviation accident in less than a week after an Mi-17 helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad on June 10 due to a reported technical fault during take-off.
