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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| General killed in Pakistan crash | General killed in Pakistan crash |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A senior Pakistani army officer is among eight people killed in a helicopter crash in the restive South Waziristan region, the army says. | A senior Pakistani army officer is among eight people killed in a helicopter crash in the restive South Waziristan region, the army says. |
| The army helicopter carrying Maj Gen Javed Sultan crashed because of a technical fault near the Afghan border, an army spokesman told the BBC. | The army helicopter carrying Maj Gen Javed Sultan crashed because of a technical fault near the Afghan border, an army spokesman told the BBC. |
| Maj Gen Sultan was in charge of fighting pro-Taleban militants in North and South Waziristan. | Maj Gen Sultan was in charge of fighting pro-Taleban militants in North and South Waziristan. |
| The army says that two brigadiers are also among the dead. | |
| The helicopter - which the military says was on a routine reconnaissance mission - reportedly came down between the towns of Jandola and Wana at roughly 1440 local time (0940 GMT). | |
| The military says that everyone on board was killed. | |
| Heavy casualties | |
| According to the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad, the death of Maj Gen Sultan will dent morale among Pakistani troops who have already suffered heavy casualties in the region. | According to the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad, the death of Maj Gen Sultan will dent morale among Pakistani troops who have already suffered heavy casualties in the region. |
| He is the most senior Pakistani officer to be killed in military operations in the area. | |
| Hours before the crash was reported, Taleban militants based in Pakistan said they were scaling back operations against the military. | Hours before the crash was reported, Taleban militants based in Pakistan said they were scaling back operations against the military. |
| They said the decision was made after the security forces had "shown restraint" in their operations in the area. | |
| A spokesman claiming to represent the militants denied any secret negotiations had taken place between the two sides. | |
| Guerrillas loyal to a local pro-Taleban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, have been fighting government forces in the Waziristan region. | |
| The area is said to be a safe haven for al-Qaeda and Taleban insurgents fighting in Afghanistan. |