Islamabad: A Major General was among eight Pakistani Army personnel killed today when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed due to a technical fault in the restive South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The Army's Mi-17 helicopter crashed killing Maj Gen Javed Sultan, the General Officer Commanding for Kohat; Brig Afzal Cheema; Brig Saeed Khan; Lt Col P Umar Farooq; three captains and a non-commissioned officer, military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas said.

The helicopter crashed because of a "technical fault" and was not brought down due to any attack by militants active in the area, Abbas said. Maj Gen Sultan was on an official visit to the area when the helicopter crashed at Tanai, located between Wana and Jandola, two of the major towns of South Waziristan, at around 2.40 pm.

Helicopters had been sent to the crash site for a recovery operation, Abbas said.

Source : PTI