ISLAMABAD: An Italian diplomat and two mountaineering workers in Pakistan said on Monday that an avalanche had stranded a group of four Italian and three Pakistani climbers on a mountain in the country’s north.
A tour operator, Ashraf Aman, who arranged the expedition, said the avalanche hit the seven mountaineers when they were descending.
“I cannot comment on their condition at this stage, but a helicopter is being arranged. Volunteers from the area are being dispatched there,” he said, offering no further details.
The four Italian climbers involved are Tarcisio Bellò, who led the expedition, Luca Morellato, David Bergamin and Tino Toldo. According to the Russian website Mountain.ru, which has been following the expedition, the four Italians have been injured.
Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo confirmed Monday’s incident happened in the northern district of Ghizar, but he also gave no further details.
According to Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Pakistan Alpine Club, authorities were trying to send a helicopter to Ghizar on Tuesday in an effort to rescue all the stranded climbers and bring them safely back to the base camp.
He said it was difficult to say what the condition of the climbers was.
“A rescue mission will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) and we are praying for the safety of stranded mountaineers,” he told The Associated Press.
Mountaineers from across the world travel to Pakistan every year to try scaling its high northern mountain ranges. Harsh weather and conditions often prove a test for the most experienced of climbers.
Earlier this year, two European climbers — an Italian Daniele Nardi and Briton Tom Ballard — were killed on the Pakistani mountain Nanga Parbat, which is the world’s ninth-tallest with a peak of 8,126 meters (26,660 feet), during bad winter weather.
Nardi, from near Rome, had attempted to scale Nanga Parbat in winter several times. Ballard’s disappearance hit his homeland particularly hard as he is the son of Alison Hargreaves, the first woman to scale Mount Everest alone.
She died at age 33 descending the summit of K2.
Avalanche strands 4 Italian, 3 local climbers in Pakistan
Avalanche strands 4 Italian, 3 local climbers in Pakistan
- The incident happened in the northern district of Ghizar
- Two European climbers lost their lives while trying to scale Nanga Parbat earlier this year
Pakistan deploys F-16 Block-52 jets to Saudi Arabia for multinational air combat exercise
- PAF joins US, UK, Gulf and European air forces in Spears of Victory-2026
- Deployment comes amid expanding Pakistan-Saudi defense cooperation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force has deployed F-16 Block-52 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia to take part in the multinational air combat exercise Spears of Victory-2026, marking a significant overseas deployment of its frontline combat jets, the military said on Monday.
The exercise is being hosted at King Abdulaziz Air Base and includes participation from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Italy, Greece, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Kingdom and the United States, bringing together a wide range of advanced fighter aircraft and combat support elements.
Such multinational drills are designed to test air forces in complex, high-intensity scenarios, including large force employment, night composite air operations, integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and operations in advanced electronic warfare environments. For Pakistan, participation provides exposure to contemporary combat doctrines and interoperability with leading Western and regional air forces.
“Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising F-16 Block-52 fighter aircraft, alongside dedicated air and ground crew, has arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the multinational aerial combat Exercise Spears of Victory-2026,” a PAF spokesperson said in a statement.
The statement said PAF pilots flying F-16 Block-52 aircraft equipped with modern avionics and beyond-visual-range capabilities would be “pitched against aircrew of participating Air Forces operating a wide array of sophisticated combat aircraft” during the exercise.
It added that for the international deployment, “PAF fighter aircraft undertook a non-stop flight from their home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the long-range operational reach and expeditionary capabilities of Pakistan Air Force.”
The air force said participation in the exercise reflects its intent to validate operational preparedness in a contested, technology-driven battlespace while enhancing interoperability and professional exchange with partner air forces.
The deployment comes amid deepening defense ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The two countries have expanded military cooperation through joint exercises, training exchanges and defense agreements in recent years, including a mutual defense cooperation pact signed last year.
Saudi Arabia remains one of Pakistan’s closest defense and security partners in the Middle East, with regular engagement across air, land and naval domains.
