Indian Army to probe straying of chopper into PoK

Srinagar: With four crew members of a helicopter belonging to the Indian Army's Aviation Corps back in base along with their chopper, after inadvertently straying across the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir, the army has now announced an inquiry into the incident.

The announcement comes a day after four crew members returned to their base in Kargil safely after being detained briefly by Pakistani officials when their chopper strayed into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and made a forced landing came down there.

The four crew members have been identified as Maj Raja (pilot), Maj Kapila (co-pilot) and maintenance personnel, Lt Col Verma and Sub Akhilesh Sharma.

The four army officers onboard were allowed to fly back after the Pakistan Army verified the reasons for the intrusion.

Earlier, military and diplomatic channels of both nations were activated to defuse the crisis, with the director general of military operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan in touch with each other.

The Indian High Commission in Islamabad was also in touch with the Pakistani side.