A Pakistan military helicopter with a delegation of diplomats on board crashed in the northern reaches of the country, killing seven—including the ambassadors to Pakistan from Norway and the Philippines, and the wives of the ambassadors from Indonesia and Malaysia. Two pilots and a crew member also were killed; the Polish and Dutch ambassadors were among the injured.
Pakistan’s foreign secretary said an initial investigation indicated that the Mi-17 helicopter, part of a convoy traveling to inspect tourism projects in the region, crashed due to engine failure as it was landing, the New York Times reported.
The Pakistani Taliban, however, claim they were responsible for the crash. CNN reports that a spokesman for the group claims the attack was carried out using a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile, and that the primary target was Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was expected to be part of the delegation. (Sharif turned out to be elsewhere in the region.)
Witnesses say there was no indication of an attack.