Baloch militants carry their weapons as they prepare to surrender to Pakistani security forces in Quetta on April 21, 2017. (BANARAS KHAN / AFP)
QUETTA, Pakistan – Separatist insurgents in Pakistan's resource-rich Balochistan province said they shot down a military helicopter that went down during a flood relief operation on Monday, killing all six on board including a top army commander.
The Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella group of Baloch insurgent groups, said in a statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday that its fighters shot down the "low flying helicopter" with an anti-aircraft weapon
A senior military official dismissed the insurgents' claim as propaganda and fake news. The military said the helicopter crashed during bad weather.
The Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella group of Baloch insurgent groups, said in a statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday that its fighters shot down the "low flying helicopter" with an anti-aircraft weapon.
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The group provided no evidence and Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
Ethnic Baloch militants have for decades waged an insurgency against the Pakistani government in the southwestern province, complaining that its rich gas and mineral resource are unfairly exploited to the benefit of other parts of the country.
The insurgents oppose the government's infrastructure projects and try to attack them.
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The commander of the south Pakistan-based 12 Corps, Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, was among those killed on the helicopter.