The Mi-17 helicopter of the army's aviation wing was returning from a sortie to the Gyari sector of Siachen when it caught fire and crashed at the airport in Skardu town, police officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels.
The army confirmed the incident in a brief statement and said five persons on board, including two pilots, were killed. The statement said the helicopter was on a routine test flight.
It could not immediately be ascertained if the accident had resulted in any damage on the ground. The army's aviation wing has a base at Skardu, one of the main towns of Gilgit-Baltistsan region.