A Pakistani army Mi-17 helicopter crashed in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir on Wednesday; all those on board lost their lives, DPA and AFP inform, quoted by Agerpres.
The aircraft suffered a technical failure immediately after take-off, in the city of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, according to a press release from the armed forces that does not specify how many people were in the helicopter; helicopters of that type – a Soviet model – can carry 36 soldiers with full equipment, dpa mentions.
The incident took place in the context of the violent protests launched on Sunday in the main cities of the region, during which 14 deaths were reported. Security forces intervene against an increasing number of demonstrators.
The demonstrations were provoked by the banning of a local political movement designated by the authorities as a terrorist group on Friday.
The military deployed helicopters to monitor protests in Muzaffarabad and other areas, but it is not clear if the helicopter that crashed was part of such an operation.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir, with a majority Muslim population, is claimed by both Pakistan and India; both nuclear powers control a part of that territory. Since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, the two sides have clashed militarily in Kashmir several times.
