Bad weather forces Indian helicopter into Nepali airspace

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal on Wednesday said an Indian military helicopter that entered Nepali airspace in the western border district of Darchula on June 10 had crossed the border due to adverse weather conditions and not with any hostile intent.

Responding to lawmakers during a session of Nepal's National Assembly, Khanal said information received by the government indicated that the helicopter had inadvertently entered Nepali territory after encountering poor weather.

'No ill motive behind entry'

"Based on the information received from the concerned authorities, it does not appear that the Indian helicopter entered Nepali territory intentionally or with any ill motive," Khanal said.

He added that the difficult terrain and prevailing weather conditions had contributed to the incident and that communication and coordination were continuing between the relevant authorities in Nepal and India.

Nepal had lodged protest

The clarification comes weeks after Nepali officials confirmed that an Indian military helicopter had entered the country's sovereign airspace without prior permission on June 10 before returning to the Indian side after a brief period.

Following the incident, Nepal's Chief District Officer of Darchula, Anil Poudel, said local residents in the Chhangru area had captured video footage of the helicopter, prompting authorities to verify the airspace breach.

According to Poudel, Nepal lodged a formal protest with the District Magistrate of Pithoragarh in India's Uttarakhand, seeking an explanation for the unauthorised entry.

He said Indian authorities later informed Nepal that the relevant agencies had been notified and assured that such an incident would not be repeated.

Incident amid longstanding border dispute

The helicopter entered airspace near the sensitive Kalapani region, where India maintains a military presence. Kalapani, along with Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, remains part of a longstanding territorial dispute between India and Nepal, making cross-border incidents in the area particularly sensitive.

Despite the latest clarification attributing the incident to bad weather, both countries continue to coordinate through official channels regarding the matter.