QUETTA – Pakistan Army official dismissed Baloch terror group’s claim ofshooting down a military helicopter that went down during a flood reliefoperation on Monday, killing six on board including Commander 12 Corps LtGeneral Sarfraz Ali.
A senior military official trashed the claim as propaganda and fake news,clarifying to local media that the helicopter crashed during bad weather inthe flood-hit region.
Pakistan Army official responded after Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), aBaloch terror group, said in a statement sent to a top one of the largestnews agencies service that its fighters shot down the low-flying helicopterwith an anti-aircraft weapon.
The terror outfit, however, provided no evidence and the newswire servicesaid it could not independently verify the claim.
Several foreign-sponsored Baloch militants waged attacks on armed forces inthe country’s southwestern region. Militants lately shot dead a kidnappedLieutenant Colonel Laeeq Baig Mirza before troops could rescue him from therestive region.
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Pakistan’s military media wing on Tuesday claimed to find the wreckage of amilitary helicopter that crashed overnight due to bad weather in flood-hitsouthwestern Baluchistan province, killing all six senior officers on board.
Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, Quetta corps commander, a major-general,and one brigadier were among the deceased.
The Army officials were supervising flood relief operations in Lasbeladistrict, about 500 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Quetta whentheir helicopter lost contact with air traffic control late Mondayafternoon.
