QUETTA, Sept 10: A helicopter of the federal interior ministry escaped a firing incident in Marwar area of Mach, some 65 km, east of here on Saturday. “Some miscreants tried to hit the helicopter, when it was on a routine flight,” an ISPR spokesman said, adding that the helicopter landed safely after completing its task.

Sources said that two helicopters of the interior ministry were on their way to conduct aerial survey to identify poppy cultivation areas in Bolan district during which some people opened fired on them with small weapons between Marwar and Margat coalmine area of Mach. However, the helicopters remained safe, the sources said.

“The incident is being investigated,” the ISPR spokesman said.

Meanwhile, a man identifying himself as Merak claimed that the Baloch Liberation Army had destroyed a plane of the PAF in Marwar area. Calling from a satellite phone to the Quetta Press Club, he said that a fighter plane was brought down in the area.

However, official sources refuted such claim and said that no plane of the PAF was in the area except the interior ministry’s helicopter.