mudricky, thanks for getting this story out so quickly. It will now show up on the home page for four hours. If new developments justify it, I'll renew this flag for another cycle.
NP Rank:
Twenty-six Pakistan security personnel have been killed after their NI-17 helicopter came down in Pakistan.
Sky News reported there was a 'technical fault' and the aircraft came down after flying back to Peshawar on the border of the Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions.
A report on the BBC news website said:
The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Islamabad says it is understood the MI-17 helicopter had been flying back to Peshawar from the northern tribal regions.When the helicopter came down, it was fired upon by militants, according to officials.
Troops were then sent in and exchanged fire with the insurgents.
The north-west of Pakistan is currently the scene of heavy fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban militants.
Unnamed intelligence officials said the drone attack in South Waziristan had targeted a militant training facility.
The region - on the Afghan border - is controlled by Pakistan's most senior Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
Major General Athar Abbas, a spokesperson for the Pakistan army said a helicopter had crashed in the northwest, but gave no details on casualties or how it helicopter came down.
At least 26 security personnel on board a military helicopter have been killed in Pakistan after the aircraft crashed, a military official has said.
The official said the MI-17 helicopter came down on the border of the Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions in the northwest of the country.
He said it crashed because of a "technical fault".
The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information to the media.
Earlier, Pakistan's army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said a helicopter had crashed in the northwest, but gave no details on casualties.
Barbara McPherson
Nanaimo, Canada
albertacowpoke
Canada
Paschen
Narita, Chiba, Japan
jazzyzazzy
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
alia_d
Vancouver, Canada
peder.sande
Vancouver, Canada
Amy Judd
Vancouver, Canada
Roy C
Vancouver, Washington, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 09:31 on July 3rd, 2009
Your post headline states "26 Brit Soldiers Killed" but in your links to the stories on both BBC News and SkyNews, there is no mention about those being killed being British soldiers?
The BBC News and SkyNews states they were Pakistan military.
Were are you taking your headline from? I also did a quick Google search and found no main media stating 26 Brit soldiers killed.
If I'm wrong, sorry!
at 09:22 on July 3rd, 2009
Yes, Awful. Especially since they are British citizens.
at 11:14 on July 3rd, 2009
thank you for the update/correction. It would have been of concern had it been true because at least officially, there are no American or British troops in Pakistan!
at 07:43 on July 3rd, 2009
Interesting?
at 08:58 on July 3rd, 2009
Such tragic news for another 26 families.
at 09:11 on July 3rd, 2009
Such a high number of deaths, awful news.
at 10:31 on July 3rd, 2009
I was away from the computer for a while there, the story has been updated.
When the story first broke it was Brits the websites were claiming had died.
at 15:51 on July 3rd, 2009