The Pakistani military has not yet disclosed the number of casualties from the incident, though witnesses reported seeing multiple ambulances transporting victims from the crash site.<\/p>\n
The helicopter went down near Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, according to military officials. Witnesses<\/strong> reported the aircraft crashed shortly after lifting off from a helipad in the area.<\/p>\n The crash occurred during ongoing demonstrations and a strike organized by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a coalition of various groups that Pakistani authorities recently outlawed. Military officials made no suggestion of any connection between the civil unrest and the helicopter accident.<\/p>\n Residents told New York Post<\/em> the helicopter was transporting paramilitary Rangers personnel whom the government had deployed for security operations in the region. Tensions have escalated sharply in Muzaffarabad since the weekend, when members of a banned organization launched attacks on police and security forces, killing four personnel.<\/p>\n Pakistani military officials confirmed that rescue and recovery teams responded immediately to the crash site. Smoke was observed rising from the location as emergency services worked to recover the victims.<\/p>\n The military has established a board of inquiry to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.<\/p>\n Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari<\/strong> and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif<\/strong> both released statements expressing grief over the incident and offering condolences to the families of those killed. Field Marshal Asim Munir<\/strong>, Pakistan’s army chief, likewise conveyed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended sympathies to bereaved families.<\/p>\n Such aviation accidents occur with troubling regularity in Pakistan. As recently as September, another army helicopter crashed during a routine flight in northern Pakistan, killing two pilots and three technicians.<\/p>\n