Four martyred as army aviation copter crashes in GB

E-Paper | March 13, 2026

Four martyred as army aviation copter crashes in GB

Jamil Nagri Published December 27, 2020

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

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

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.

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Fastrack

Dec 27, 2020 08:35am

To Him we belong, and to Him we will return. RIP brave martyrs.

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Zak

Dec 27, 2020 08:36am

Pakistan army are the bravest of the brave. Our prayers for the valiant soldiers and their families.

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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!

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Arif

Dec 27, 2020 08:51am

RIP, Salute

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Mark

Dec 27, 2020 09:00am

Pak aviation aircraft are falling faster than acquisition. IK government failure on all fronts.

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Shazad

Dec 27, 2020 09:05am

Don’t worry, we are rich enough and ready to pay more taxes for defense of our country.

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Marcus

Dec 27, 2020 09:16am

You sure it wasnt attacked by a missile?

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Perspective

Dec 27, 2020 09:26am

RIP. There's no greater honor than to lay down your life in the service of your country.

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shome

Dec 27, 2020 09:35am

Sad news. Was the chopper China made?

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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.

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Anthony

Dec 27, 2020 10:05am

RIP.

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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.

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Chini

Dec 27, 2020 10:41am

India shoot down

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nkg

Dec 27, 2020 10:42am

Must have been shot down

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Fastrack

Dec 27, 2020 10:50am

Another Pakistani aircraft crashed and it was not even in a war.

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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.

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Justice First

Dec 27, 2020 11:04am

Salute to Shuhada.They gave their for the country.

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Abid

Dec 27, 2020 11:33am

Innalillahai Wa Inna Alaihi Rajaoon , We salute to our Martyrs , Pak Aemed Forces Zindabad

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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.

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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.

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Abdulla Sakir

Dec 27, 2020 12:39pm

Chinese helicopter?

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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.

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Indoaryan

Dec 27, 2020 01:37pm

RIP brave soldiers. Our condolences to the families facing this tragedy.

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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.

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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

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Muqali Khan

Dec 27, 2020 02:45pm

Sad loss of lives. Out -dated equipment main reason of most mishaps.

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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..!

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Abdur R. Talukder

Dec 27, 2020 03:10pm

Inna lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raziun!

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MONIER

Dec 27, 2020 03:32pm

Inna Lillahe wa Inna Alehe Rajioon

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Raheel

Dec 27, 2020 03:45pm

RIP our heroes

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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!

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Fastrack

Dec 27, 2020 04:53pm

Fake licences?

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Kumar

Dec 27, 2020 04:57pm

@Blue, it can happened sometimes by mistakes. Dont forget F 16 shotdown by our wing commander great abhinandan

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Umair - Canada

Dec 27, 2020 05:28pm

no fund, poor maintenance. So many Crashes these days

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Indian

Dec 27, 2020 05:47pm

Something fishy.. Crash or Someone shot down.. ??

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Rahul S.

Dec 27, 2020 06:16pm

@Blue, it happens sometimes even to the most powerful armies of the world.

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Dr Malaria

Dec 27, 2020 07:07pm

stop buying chinises product , they all are duplicate

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Khurram Javed

Dec 27, 2020 07:48pm

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon our beloved soldiers and officers of Pakistan military. RIP

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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.

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Indian Indian

Dec 27, 2020 10:06pm

No Chinese parts in the helicopter I presume !

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Majnu

Dec 28, 2020 12:02am

Even crash victims are Martyred?

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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.

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nikhil

Dec 28, 2020 01:30am

Heartfelt condolence to the families

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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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