Two Pakistan Army pilots were martyred on Monday after a training aircraft crashed in Quetta due to a technical fault, the military’s media wing affairs said.

In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “[At] midday, a Mushshak training aircraft of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Nawan Killi, Quetta due to a technical fault.”

It said both pilots, Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun, the instructor, and Captain Abdul Samad, a student, embraced martyrdom in the crash.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over at the martyrdom of the two pilots and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of the two pilots, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Interior Minister Mohsin also expressed sorrow over the martyrdom of the two pilots.

“In this hour of sorrow, we stand with the martyrs’ bereaved families,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in a statement.

In June, an Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad during take-off due to a technical fault, claiming the lives of all personnel on board.

The same month, a Pakistan Air Force aircraft crashed in Mardan during a routine training sortie, resulting in the martyrdom of both pilots on board.

Last year in September, an army helicopter crashed in Diamer district’s Chilas town in after developing a technical fault. All five crew members were martyred in the incident.