Chopper escorting Musharraf crashes

A Pakistani army helicopter escorting President Pervez Musharraf crashed in Kashmir yesterday, killing four people including two commandos from his security detail, an army spokesman said.

General Musharraf, who polled most votes in a presidential election on Saturday, was visiting Kashmir to mark the second anniversary of an earthquake in the region. The stricken helicopter, carrying a dozen people, was following Mr Musharraf's.

"It took off after President Musharraf left," army spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad said. "The president is safe and sound. He has reached his destination."

The President's spokesman, retired Major-General Rashid Qureshi, was among eight injured in the crash, Major-General Arshad said.

The four killed included a brigadier, the two commandos, and a cameraman from state-run television.

"The engine backed up and because of that it immediately went down," Major-General Arshad said. "The pilot made a crash landing. Once he did that the rear portion of the helicopter caught fire."

He said there would be an inquiry, but he doubted whether the helicopter had been sabotaged or attacked, as it would have been more likely to have exploded in the air.

US ally Musharraf has survived at least three assassination attempts by al Qaeda linked militants.

The most recent was last July, when assassins tried to shoot down his airplane after it took off from the military airfield at Rawalpindi. The plane was well out of range.

Whenever Musharraf travels by helicopter several aircraft are used as potential decoys, and it is not known whether he will be in the lead helicopter or one of those following.

Pakistan's previous military ruler President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq was killed in 1988 when the Hercules C-130 aircraft carrying him crashed in mysterious circumstances.