Nepal has issued a statement on the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

Nepal's statement follows fresh confrontation a day after Indian Air Force launched a counter-terrorism action against a training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan based on credible evidence that JeM intended to launch more attacks.

Expressing concern over the strained relations between the two counries, Nepal called for peace in the region. It asked India and Pakistan to refrain from actions that jeopardise "As the current Chair of Saarc, Nepal, while underlining the importance of peace and stability in South Asia, calls on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and not engage in actions that would threaten peace and security in the region" read the statement.

The foreign ministry of Nepal also called for dialogue between the two nations. "It [Nepal] also urges them to seek solution through dialogue and peaceful means in order to ease tension and normalize the situation" said Nepal in its statement.

Nepal had previously strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14 that had killed 40 CRPF jawans and said such heinous acts of terrorism cannot be justified on any ground.

"The Government of Nepal strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir today that has resulted in the loss of many precious lives," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement here.

"In line with its principled position, Nepal unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and believes that such heinous acts of terrorism cannot be justified on any ground," it said.

Protests were also held at various places in Nepal over Pulwama terror attack in which 40 security personnel were killed.

Hundreds of people gathered at Parsa, Majottari Rupandehi and other adjoining districts staged demonstration, condemning the attack and expressing solidarity with India, according to officials.

Staff members working in the Indian Mission in Nepal had also donated their one day salary for the fallen soldiers.</s>KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s minister of tourism and six other people were killed on Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in an eastern region of the Himalayan nation, police officials said.

The helicopter, operated by Air Dynasty, crashed in the mountainous district of Taplejung while on a trip to look at the feasibility of constructing an airport in the area. Everyone aboard was killed, including the tourism minister, Rabindra Adhikari, and the pilot.

Earlier, an official said incorrectly that the minister had been traveling to the region to promote a paragliding project.

Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport, which serves Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, said the crash, in a region that borders both India and Tibet, had probably been caused by bad weather.</s>On Wednesday, the helicopter carrying Nepal's tourism minister Rabindra Prasad Adhikari and five others crash.

The Nepal Home Secretary has said that the helicopter carrying the minister is suspected to have crashed in Tehrathum district.

The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that all six on board, including the tourism minister, are dead in the chopper crash.</s>KATHMANDU, Nepal — A helicopter with six people on board including Nepal's tourism minister crashed in bad weather Wednesday in the country's mountainous region, officials said.

Government administrator Gita Kamari Rai said the helicopter went down on a mountain and rescuers were making their way there on foot. Some villagers had reached the crash site, but the condition of those aboard was not immediately clear.

Rai, who is based at Taplejung District in the northeastern region of Nepal, said it was snowing and raining at the time of the crash.

Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari and civil aviation officials were among the passengers.

Adhikari, 49, became the tourism minister in March 2018 after the Nepal Communist Party won parliamentary elections.

The rescue coordination office at the Kathmandu airport said a rescue helicopter had been sent to the area but weather was making approach to the crash site, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Kathmandu, difficult.</s>A helicopter carrying Nepal's tourism minister has crashed in Nepal's hilly east, officials said Wednesday, with no word yet on the fate of those aboard.

The minister, Rabindra Adhikari, was travelling with five other passengers from the eastern district of Taplejung to Terathum when the Air Dynasty chopper went down.

"A helicopter carrying Nepal's tourism minister has crashed, but we do not have any more information right now," Home Secretary Prem Kumar Rai told reporters.

It is just the latest aviation accident to plague Nepal, an impoverished Himalayan nation with a poor air safety record.

Nepal has some of the world's most remote and tricky runways, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge for even accomplished pilots.

In April last year, a Malaysian jet with 139 people on board aborted its takeoff and skidded off a runway.

Nepal-based airlines are banned from flying in European Union airspace.

Its poor air safety record is largely blamed on inadequate maintenance and sub-standard management.</s>KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A helicopter flying in bad weather crashed into a mountain in Nepal on Wednesday, killing all seven people on board, including the country's tourism minister, officials said.

Home Ministry spokesman Ram Krishna Subedi said rescuers had reached the crash site. The bodies of Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari and his bodyguard were identified, but the other five bodies were charred, Subedi said.

Government administrator Gita Kamari Rai said it was snowing and raining when the helicopter crashed into a mountain in northeastern Nepal.

Adhikari, 49, became tourism minister in March 2018 after the Nepal Communist Party won parliamentary elections.

The rescue coordination office at Kathmandu airport said two smaller helicopters had made earlier attempts to land near the crash area, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. However, the poor weather conditions made it difficult.</s>Kathmandu: Nepal's Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari and six others were killed when a private helicopter crashed in eastern Nepal's mountainous Taplejung district, according to a media report.

Besides 39-year-old Tourism Minister Adhikari, the Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying Nepal's prominent aviation and hospitality entrepreneur Ang Tsering Sherpa, Prime Minister's personal aide Yubaraj Dahal, two officials of tourism ministry and a body guard of the minister.

The helicopter caught fire after it hit Chuchche Dada hill in Taplejung district in the mountain region of northeast Nepal.

All seven on board the helicopter, including pilot Captain Prabhakar KC, have been killed in crash, an Air Dynasty official was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times.

Moments after the chopper was reported missing, local residents in Pathibara area informed the police about a huge flame at the crash site.

The Chief District Officer of Taplejung, Anuj Bhandari quoted the locals as saying they heard a loud bang followed by a sight of smoke and fire in the area.

The tourism minister along with other officials were on route to Pathibhara Temple after attending a programme at Chuhan Danda in Panchthar.

Authorities have rushed to the incident site. Meanwhile, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister has summoned an emergency cabinet meeting at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar.</s>A helicopter carrying Nepal’s tourism minister and five other people crashed in Pathibhara in Nepal’s Taplejung district on Wednesday afternoon, reported Kathmandu Post. The Civil Aviation Authority said all six people on board the chopper died in the crash, according to ANI.

Inspector General of Nepal Police Sarbendra Khanal told Kathmandu Post that the Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari, Ang Tsering Sherpa, an aviation and hospitality entrepreneur, and Yubaraj Dahal, personal aide to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Home Secretary Prem Kumar Rai told the House Committee on Wednesday that the team had gone for a feasibility study of an airstrip in Chuhandanda in Tehrathum district. The chopper crashed as the minister and his team were returning to Kathmandu after visiting a temple.

Rai said Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Birendra Prasad Shrestha, and security personnel Arjun Kumar Ghimire were on board. The helicopter was flown by Captain Prabhakar KC.

Local residents in Pathibara area informed police about a fire at the crash site.</s>Nepal Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikeri was killed in a helicopter crash near Pathibhara in Taplejung district on Wednesday afternoon.

The minister and five others were travelling on an Air Dynasty helicopter. The other occupants were Ang Tsering Sherpa, a prominent aviation and hospitality entrepreneur, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli's personal aide, Yubaraj Dahal.</s>Nepal’s Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari and six others were killed when a private helicopter crashed in eastern Nepal’s mountainous Taplejung district, according to a media report.

Besides Tourism Minister Adhikari, the Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying six others, including Ang Tsering Sherpa, a prominent aviation and hospitality entrepreneur, Yubaraj Dahal, personal aide to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Birendra Prasad Shrestha, Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

All seven on board the helicopter, including the pilot, have been killed in crash, an Air Dynasty official was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times.

Moments after the chopper was reported missing, local residents in Pathibara area informed the police about a huge flame at the crash site.

The Chief District Officer of Taplejung, Anuj Bhandari quoted the locals as saying they heard a loud bang followed by a sight of smoke and fire in the area.

It has been learnt that the tourism minister along with other officials had planned to visit Pathibhara Temple and then fly to Panchthar to observe the under-construction airport at Chuhan Danda.

Authorities have rushed to the incident site. Meanwhile, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister has summoned an emergency cabinet meeting at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar.
A helicopter crashes in Taplejung, Nepal, killing 7 people, including Nepal's culture and tourism minister Rabindra Prasad Adhikari.