A Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad on Wednesday during take-off, killing all personnel on board, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing.
In a statement, the ISPR said the helicopter went down due to a suspected technical fault. Rescue and recovery teams were immediately dispatched to the crash site, but no survivors were found.
“All personnel on board embraced martyrdom. There were no survivors,” the statement said.
The military has ordered a board of inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accident. Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with all ranks of the army, expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
The Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters have served as a key component of Pakistan Army Aviation since the late 1990s and are widely used for transport and operational missions. The fleet has seen extensive deployment in counter-terrorism operations over the years.
The latest crash adds to a series of military aviation accidents in Pakistan. In September 2025, five personnel were killed when an army helicopter crashed in Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district following a reported technical fault. Several other military helicopter crashes over the past decade have also claimed numerous lives, raising concerns about operational safety and aircraft maintenance.
