E-Paper | July 31, 2026

Four martyred as army aviation copter crashes in GB

Jamil Nagri Published
47
Four military personnel were martyred when a Pakistan Army Aviation helicopter crashed during a casualty evacuation in the Minimarg area of Astore district in Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday evening. — AFP/File
Four military personnel were martyred when a Pakistan Army Aviation helicopter crashed during a casualty evacuation in the Minimarg area of Astore district in Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday evening. — AFP/File
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GILGIT: Four military personnel were martyred when a Pakistan Army Aviation helicopter crashed during a casualty evacuation in the Minimarg area of Astore district in Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday evening.

According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the helicopter was evacuating the body of a shaheed soldier, Abdul Qadeer, to the Combined Military Hospital Skardu.

The ISPR said the helicopter crashed due to technical reasons.

The officers and soldiers who embraced martyrdom were identified as Pilot Major M. Hussain, Co Pilot Maj Ayaz Hussain, Naik Inzimam Alam and Sepoy Muhammad Farooq.

Maj Hussain belonged to Skardu, Maj Ayaz to Karachi, Naik Inzimam to Chakwal while Sepoy Farooq hailed from Sahiwal.

GB Information Minister Fatullah Khan expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.

He acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan Army for the country.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2020

Pakistan
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Jamil Nagri is a Gilgit-Baltistan-based correspondent for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. His reporting and feature writing focus on CPEC, climate change, the environment, and adventure tourism. He can be found on X at @jamilnagri.

Jamil Nagri

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Fastrack
Dec 27, 2020 08:35am
To Him we belong, and to Him we will return. RIP brave martyrs.
Recommend 0
Zak
Dec 27, 2020 08:36am
Pakistan army are the bravest of the brave. Our prayers for the valiant soldiers and their families.
Recommend 0
Imtiaz Ali Khan
Dec 27, 2020 08:46am
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon our beloved soldiers and officers of Pakistan military. Pakistan Armed Forces we stand with you in every aspect of life. We stand with our military Shaheeds and Ghazis forever. Salute!
Recommend 0
Arif
Dec 27, 2020 08:51am
RIP, Salute
Recommend 0
Mark
Dec 27, 2020 09:00am
Pak aviation aircraft are falling faster than acquisition. IK government failure on all fronts.
Recommend 0
Shazad
Dec 27, 2020 09:05am
Don’t worry, we are rich enough and ready to pay more taxes for defense of our country.
Recommend 0
Marcus
Dec 27, 2020 09:16am
You sure it wasnt attacked by a missile?
Recommend 0
Perspective
Dec 27, 2020 09:26am
RIP. There's no greater honor than to lay down your life in the service of your country.
Recommend 0
shome
Dec 27, 2020 09:35am
Sad news. Was the chopper China made?
Recommend 0
Salman
Dec 27, 2020 10:01am
GB is under severe snow and bad weather this winter. Helicopter crashes like this are more possible these days better to adopt road links.
Recommend 0
Anthony
Dec 27, 2020 10:05am
RIP.
Recommend 0
Sankar
Dec 27, 2020 10:24am
Pakistan uses Chinese helicopters, india uses Russian helicopters. Both are competing each other to use scrapped age old helicopters/war planes.
Recommend 0
Chini
Dec 27, 2020 10:41am
India shoot down
Recommend 0
nkg
Dec 27, 2020 10:42am
Must have been shot down
Recommend 0
Fastrack
Dec 27, 2020 10:50am
Another Pakistani aircraft crashed and it was not even in a war.
Recommend 0
M.Saeed
Dec 27, 2020 10:51am
@Sankar, Indian Fighters,aircrafts are falling like dead weight on Indian borders with China and in open ocean, due to Chinese superiority in EMP weapons, that they mount on land based vehicles and submarines, Chinese even have microwave based weapons to cause nausea, headaches and severe distress which caused Indian soldiers to abandon their positions and flee like whipped dogs.
Recommend 0
Justice First
Dec 27, 2020 11:04am
Salute to Shuhada.They gave their for the country.
Recommend 0
Abid
Dec 27, 2020 11:33am
Innalillahai Wa Inna Alaihi Rajaoon , We salute to our Martyrs , Pak Aemed Forces Zindabad
Recommend 0
Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad
Dec 27, 2020 11:46am
What a gigantic, gruesome, grim, grave, gross and great tragedy? Inna Lilla Hay Waa Inna Illehey Rajayoon.
Recommend 0
HKHa
Dec 27, 2020 12:17pm
Pakistan airforce needs urgent up gradation to its fleets, so many brave solders are loosing their lives not on ground but in accident and do not get death they deserve. PAF is now heritage airforce in the world, and with the current threat from India, if not upgraded we will not be able to stand against them for even 3 days.
Recommend 0
Abdulla Sakir
Dec 27, 2020 12:39pm
Chinese helicopter?
Recommend 0
AZAM AKBAR
Dec 27, 2020 12:43pm
Rest In Peace.
Recommend 0
Reality
Dec 27, 2020 01:01pm
It shouldn't happen in superpower country like Pakistan.
Recommend 0
Indoaryan
Dec 27, 2020 01:37pm
RIP brave soldiers. Our condolences to the families facing this tragedy.
Recommend 0
Reality bites
Dec 27, 2020 01:40pm
Till when soldiers will keep dying due to air-unworthy machines? Pakistan's stock is too old to be operational. Pakistan should scrap its entire fleet except the fighters less than 10-15 years of age.
Recommend 0
Kris
Dec 27, 2020 01:57pm
These are somebody's son's, somebody's parents, and somebody's husbands. It doesn't matter which side they belong to, they are all humans. Sad truth is, regardless of which side they belong to, they will be forgotten in a few days by the rest of us. But their families have to keep living with this void in their lives...forever. RIP
Recommend 0
Muqali Khan
Dec 27, 2020 02:45pm
Sad loss of lives. Out -dated equipment main reason of most mishaps.
Recommend 0
Blue
Dec 27, 2020 03:01pm
@nkg, it wasn't an indian helicopter which is usually shot down by its own forces in panic...hope u remember february..!
Recommend 0
Abdur R. Talukder
Dec 27, 2020 03:10pm
Inna lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raziun!
Recommend 0
MONIER
Dec 27, 2020 03:32pm
Inna Lillahe wa Inna Alehe Rajioon
Recommend 0
Raheel
Dec 27, 2020 03:45pm
RIP our heroes
Recommend 0
Tamilselvan
Dec 27, 2020 04:16pm
RIP. Please define martyrdom. These soldiers died because of problems with PAF helicopter and must be termed as an unforeseen accident, period!
Recommend 0
Fastrack
Dec 27, 2020 04:53pm
Fake licences?
Recommend 0
Kumar
Dec 27, 2020 04:57pm
@Blue, it can happened sometimes by mistakes. Dont forget F 16 shotdown by our wing commander great abhinandan
Recommend 0
Umair - Canada
Dec 27, 2020 05:28pm
no fund, poor maintenance. So many Crashes these days
Recommend 0
Indian
Dec 27, 2020 05:47pm
Something fishy.. Crash or Someone shot down.. ??
Recommend 0
Rahul S.
Dec 27, 2020 06:16pm
@Blue, it happens sometimes even to the most powerful armies of the world.
Recommend 0
Dr Malaria
Dec 27, 2020 07:07pm
stop buying chinises product , they all are duplicate
Recommend 0
Khurram Javed
Dec 27, 2020 07:48pm
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon our beloved soldiers and officers of Pakistan military. RIP
Recommend 0
BANDHU
Dec 27, 2020 09:43pm
Was it made in China
Recommend 0
Bilal
Dec 27, 2020 09:57pm
Very sad. Thank you for not blaming India.
Recommend 0
Indian Indian
Dec 27, 2020 10:06pm
No Chinese parts in the helicopter I presume !
Recommend 0
Majnu
Dec 28, 2020 12:02am
Even crash victims are Martyred?
Recommend 0
Ike
Dec 28, 2020 01:30am
@Kumar, you are living in a fools paradise called India, bharat or Hindustan. The only skills the Indian air force pilots have is to grow mustache and drink tea.
Recommend 0
nikhil
Dec 28, 2020 01:30am
Heartfelt condolence to the families
Recommend 0
M. Afzal Riaz, MD
Dec 28, 2020 03:24am
Too many crashes. Planes are not serviced. Parts sold Need investigation into many crahes
Recommend 0
RAja Raman
Dec 28, 2020 07:26pm
Unfortunate... Accidents happen. RIP... Accident victims.
Recommend 0

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