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Helicopter crash in Pakistan kills 3

From Ivan Watson, Samson Desta and Nasir Habib, CNN
A Pakistani army officer walks down from a hill top after landing in a helicopter in Mingora on June 3, 2009.
A Pakistani army officer walks down from a hill top after landing in a helicopter in Mingora on June 3, 2009.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Three people killed after hostile fire causes Pakistani military transport helicopter to crash
  • Incident occurred in northwest Pakistan, where troops have been fighting Taliban
RELATED TOPICS
  • The Taliban
  • Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Three people were killed Saturday when hostile fire caused a Pakistani military transport helicopter to crash, Pakistani officials said.

The incident occurred in northwestern Pakistan, where Pakistani troops have been fighting Taliban militants.

Senior Pakistani military officials say two pilots were injured in the crash, which occurred around sunset and was under investigation, a military spokesman said.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an intelligence source and a local political official said the helicopter was brought down by hostile fire.

The aircraft was traveling to the northwestern city of Peshawar from the border district of Bajaur, where at least 25 people were killed in a suspected drone strike on Friday.

A local official told CNN the missile attack killed the nephew and son-in-law of Mawlanna Faqir Mohammed, the Taliban commander in Bajaur. Mohammed, himself, appears to have escaped the assault.