General and 7 others die in helicopter crash

Islamabad: Eight military personnel including a major general were killed when a Pakistan army helicopter crashed on Wednesday in troubled South Waziristan tribal district in the North West Frontier Province.

A military statement identified the dead as Major General Javed Sultan, Brigaider Afzal Cheema, Brigadier Saeed Khan, Lieutenant Colonel Omar Farooq, pilots Shehzad, Naveed and Haroon and non-commissioned officer Naik Amir.

It said the helicopter came down near Tanai along the Jandola-Wana road in South Waziristan in the afternoon.

Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said according to initial reports some technical fault caused the crash and an investigation was underway.

South Waziristan is known to be the base of local Taliban militant commander Baitullah Mehsud, who has been blamed for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.