At least 17 people including Pakistani army personnel were killed when an aircraft on a training flight crashed in a built-up area in the city of Rawalpindi. The crash killed all five crew members and 12 civilians, a statement from the army’s communications wing said on Tuesday.
Yesterday, as EurAsian Times reported, after a series of terror attacks in Pakistan, the Pakistan intelligence services have issued a red-alert stating that terrorists could target security and other sensitive installations in the Rawalpindi.
According to media reports, terrorists may attack police stations in Rawalpindi and could also attack other sensitive installations in the area. In this regard, security in the city has been beefed up. According to media reports, the local police have also been asked to strictly check vehicles entering and exiting the city.
Is it a coincidence that only a day after Rawalpindi was put on high alert, a Pakistani military plane crashes in the region killing 17 people?
Rescue teams were at the scene and extinguished the fire, the statement said. “A small plane crashed into a residential area,” rescue spokesman Farooq Butt said. The type of plane was not immediately clear. In a statement, the military said five soldiers were among those killed in the plane crash.
The aircraft was on a training flight when it crashed and set off a fire which engulfed several houses. Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, is the site of the army’s headquarters.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. A crowd of local residents, some sobbing, gathered at the residential area where the incident occurred, said news agency AFP.
