<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> and Religious Affairs said on Wednesday.</p>
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<p>The first plane bringing Afghan pilgrims would take off from Saudi Arabia at 10:00pm and would land at the Kabul International Airport at 12:00am, said Daei Abdul Haq Abid, deputy finance and administrative affairs director at the ministry.</p>
<p>He told reporters in Kabul the first post-hajj plane would carry 218 pilgrims and the process to transfer pilgrims back from Saudi Arabia would last 25 days.</p>
<p>About 24,000 Afghans, who performed this year’s pilgrimage, would be brought back to the country on 118 flights.</p>
<p>Abid said around 12 elderly Afghan pilgrims had died during the performance of the hajj and 13 others sustained injuries.</p>
<p>nh/ma</p>
