A military helicopter crashed in Pakistan's Orakzai agency on Saturday due to a technical glitch, killing 26 army troopers, even as the Taliban claimed that they had shot down the chopper.
"Twenty-six army troops were martyred when a cargo helicopter of Pakistan's Army crashed in Orakzai Agency today," Geo TV said.
According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the helicopter crashed after developing a technical fault.
Earlier, the Taliban had claimed that they targeted a helicopter of security forces in the Cheer Ferozkhel border area between Orakzai and Khyber Agencies.
Investigation into the incident is on, official sources said.
Pakistan has stepped up its two-month military offensive against the Taliban militants in the restive northwestern region and is preparing to launch a ground assault on Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud's stronghold South Waziristan.