Mi-17 down, 26 troops martyred

[Patriot]

PESHAWAR: Twenty-six army troops were martyred when a cargo helicopter of Pak Army crashed in Orakzai Agency on Friday.

Official sources have said that investigation into the tragic incident is being carried out.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the helicopter crashed in Orakzai Agency after developing a technical fault.
- I hope its not shot down by anti air craft guns.We need more helicopters urgently.

 

[chindit]

Rest in peace. thats 26 families whose lives wont be the same ever again.

 

[Comet]

May their souls rest in peace!

 

[Jako]

Very sad news......may the martyred rip

 

[Imran Khan]

very very sad .May their souls rest in peace.i salute them

 

[jalip]

may their soul rest in peace

 

[jalip]

its intelligence failure once again if this was shot down once again GOD bless the saheeds

 

[Skywalker]

What a tregic news for the families and for the nation. RIP.

 

[Arsalan]

we have discussed this news in air crashes thread.
the military sources claim that the chopper went down due to technical fault. though the area it went down (border of Kheber and Orakzai Agency) was reported hostile as gun battle between two militant groups was reported for some time now but the sources still claim that the helicopter went down due to technical fault rather than enemy shot so i do not see any short fall from intelligence side!

anyhow the fact remains the same that we have lost a chopper and 26 valuable lifes. may there soul rest in peace! ameen!!

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...martyred-helicopter-crash-orakzai-agency.html

regards!

 

[qsaark]

26 troops martyred in copter crash in Orakzai Agency
Updated at: 2100 PST, Friday, July 03, 2009
PESHAWAR:

Twenty-six army troops were martyred when a cargo helicopter of Pak Army crashed in Orakzai Agency on Friday.

Official sources have said that investigation into the tragic incident is being carried out.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the helicopter crashed in Orakzai Agency after developing a technical fault.

Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajioon. Sad news indeed.

Source: 26 troops martyred in copter crash in Orakzai Agency

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajioon

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Inna lillahe wa inna ilayh-e-rajioon.

May they rest in peace.

Its a tragic loss, though such crashes have been infrequent.

I believe the last one that crashed in FATA about a year ago had 3 brigadiers and a Maj. General on board.

Given equipment and resource limitations, the support staff of Army Aviation have been doing a tremendous job keeping these birds flying under heavy use.


Some contradictory reports over the nature of the crash though - the BBC suggests the chopper crashed territory and then came under fire.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Deadly military crash in Pakistan

Dawn suggests that the chopper crashed in a remote and inaccessible area that has been cordoned off by paramilitaries and recovery of bodies and wreckage is underway.

PESHAWAR: A military transport helicopter went down on the border between Khyber and Orakzai tribal region on Friday afternoon, killing all the twenty-six security personnel on board, a government official said.

The official said the helicopter crashed due to a technical fault.

The military spokesman was not available for comment, but a government official said the Russian-made M-17 transport helicopter crashed in a mountainous area, some 20 km from Peshawar, on the border between Khyber and Orakzai tribal region.

‘All those on board the helicopter have been killed,’ the official said. He attributed the cause of the crash to ‘some technical fault.’

The official described the area where the helicopter crashed as remote and inaccessible. Paramilitary force had cordoned off the area and efforts were being made to retrieve the bodies, the official said.

Army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has ordered an inquiry into the incident but the crash prompted speculation whether the transport helicopter attracted militant gunfire and was shot down.

So far, no militant group active in the region has claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter.

An official said that the actual cause of the crash would be determined after detailed examination of the wreckage was made. ‘It is a lengthy exercise,’ the official said.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Pak Army helicopter crashes in Orakzai

 

[uncanny]

very very sad news indeed may ALLAH bless them ...........

 

[iPhone]

The war and it's horrors

 

[Xeric]

Inna lillahe wa inna ilayh-e-rajioon

Let's see if any of the militant groups claim the responsibility.