ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani army MI-17 helicopter crashed due to a technical fault in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, killing all military personnel on board, the military said. The military did not immediately disclose how many people were aboard the helicopter.
The crash occurred near Muzaffarabad, the capital of the region, during an ongoing protest and strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a recently banned alliance of various groups.
The military did not suggest any link between the protest and the crash.
“Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site,” the military said, adding that a board of inquiry had been ordered to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended condolences to the families of those killed, according to the statement.
Such crashes are not uncommon in Pakistan. In September 2025, an army helicopter on a routine flight crashed in northern Pakistan, killing two pilots and three technicians on board.
