Mi-17 chopper crash: All six air warriors suffered fatal injuries, says IAF

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed that one Mi-17 V5 helicopter airborne from Srinagar airfield at 10 am in the morning for a routine mission crashed around 10.10 am near Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam. The IAF further confirmed that all six air warriors on board suffered fatal injuries. A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the accident.

The crash took place in Garend Kalan village of Budgam at around 10.40 am. Srinagar airport has also been shut down following the crash. Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Air Force personnel have rushed to the spot.

The incident comes a day after the IAF’s successful counter-terror air strike in Pakistan’s Balakot area in which Jaish-e-Mohammed’s major terror camp was completely destroyed.

Since the air strike, the Line of Control has witnessed heavy firing from the Pakistani side. In powerful retaliation, Indian forces bombed five forward posts across the LoC. The February 14 attack in Pulwama that claimed lives of 40 CRPF personnel has sparked the most tense episode in Indo-Pak bilateral ties. The February 26 air strike has just added to the issue. The flare-up between the two nuclear powers is being watched closely by the world powers.