UpdatedSeptember 12, 2022, 08:47
Afghanistan: Taliban training turns tragic
Three men died in the crash of their helicopter during a military exercise on Saturday in Kabul.
An American-made helicopter crashed during Taliban training on Saturday in Kabul. Its two pilots and a crew member were killed, the Afghan defense minister said. The “Black Hawk” accident occurred on Saturday on the campus of the Afghan capital’s Defense University.
It crashed due to “a technical problem during an exercise”, killing three people, the ministry said, adding that five other crew members were injured.
Equipment often unusable
During its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan a year ago, the US military left behind billions of dollars worth of aviation equipment, weapons and even vehicles, most of which were rendered unusable. Some helicopters were also flown by former Afghan government forces to countries in Central Asia before the Taliban took full control of the country.
The Taliban have managed to repair certain devices, including helicopters, which are now in the hands of pilots from the former Afghan government forces. On August 31, the Taliban held a grand parade displaying their military equipment to celebrate the first anniversary of the departure of the last American soldiers from the country.
(AFP)