Wed, 10 Feb 2010
Islamabad - Two Pakistani soldiers died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday in the north-western tribal region bordering Afghanistan, the military said. The servicemen were on board a two-seat AH-1F Cobra helicopter gunship which came down because of "technical fault" in the Tirah valley of the troubled Khyber tribal region. "Aviation experts are investigating the helicopter crash, apparently caused by a technical failure," a military spokesman said.
An MI-17 military transport helicopter crashed on the border of Khyber and Orazkzai, another lawless tribal district, last July, killing at least 26 people.
Though the army blamed technical fault for the crash, Taliban militants claimed they shot the aircraft down. Media reports had put the death toll as high as 41 in that incident.
Khyber is plagued with Islamist militancy and has seen several deadly clashes between the Taliban fighters and government forces in the past. The rugged area hosts the main supply route for the Western forces stationed in landlocked Afghanistan.
Pakistani troops are currently involved in multiple operations against the Taliban across the tribal belt.
The US military has also intensified drone strikes in pursuit of al-Qaeda-linked fighters involved in December 30 suicide bombing at a base in Afghan province of Khost, which killed seven intelligence agents.
The militants have stepped up attacks on government, military and civilian targets in response to the offensives.