QUETTA: Separatist insurgents in Balochistan claimed they shot down a military helicopter that went down during a flood relief operation on Monday, killing all six on board including a top army commander.

A senior military official dismissed the insurgents’ claim as propaganda and fake news. The military said the helicopter crashed during bad weather.

The Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella group of Baloch insurgent groups, said in a statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday that its fighters shot down the “low flying helicopter” with an anti-aircraft weapon. The group provided no evidence and Reuters could not independently verify the claim.—Reuters