MULTAN: Two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Pakistan army helicopter crashed in Multan while carrying out a training exercise, military officials said.

“Two army aviation pilots embraced martyrdom when their helicopter crashed during a night flying training mission due to a technical fault at Multan tonight,” the military said in a statement.

The ISPR identified the deceased pilots as Major Yasir and Captain Murtaza.

A senior military official told news agency AFP that a dust storm that hit the aviation base as the helicopter was taking off could have been a factor in the crash.

The official and the statement did not give the type of helicopter, but army has Russian and American helicopters in its fleet.

The accident comes as the Pakistani military carries out a major offensive in the dangerous tribal district of North Waziristan along the Afghan border, where Tehreek-i-Taliban Taliban (TTP) and al Qaeda-linked militants have taken refuge.