Islamabad: Two Pakistani Navy officers and a sailor were killed in a helicopter crash during a routine training flight in Balochistan province Monday, in the latest such aviation incident in the restive region.
According to a statement by the Pakistan Navy, the incident occurred near the coastal city of Gwadar.
The helicopter was on a training flight, it said.
“The helicopter crashed during the flight due to a possible technical fault…Two officers and one jawan of the Pakistan Navy lost their lives,” the statement said, adding that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the helicopter crash.
President Arif Alvi in a post on X mourned the loss of precious lives in the helicopter crash.
In a statement posted on the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) X handle, former president Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
There have been several incidents of helicopter crashes in Balochistan province. In September last year, six Pakistan Army officials, including two majors, were killed when their helicopter crashed in the province.
Same year in August, a Pakistan Army aviation helicopter carrying six senior military officers, including a top commander of XII Corps, crashed while on a flood relief operation in Balochistan province after losing contact with the air traffic control.
Resource-rich Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, is also the hub of a decades-old separatist movement. Various armed groups based in the province have attacked Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals working in the province in the past.
PTI