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

In a statement, the 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.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the martyrdom of the two pilots and extended their condolences to the bereaved families.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed sorrow over the martyrdom of the two pilots. `In this hour of sorrow, we stand with the martyrs` bereaved families, Mr Naqvi was quoted as saying in a statement.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief over the crash and extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.

In June, an Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad during takeoff 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.

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