KABUL may receive four gunship helicopters from India by July, an Indian newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The delivery, expected in four months from now, would be almost a year behind schedule, The Hindustan Times quoted unnamed sources as saying.
In 2015-16, New Delhi had supplied four Mi-24s to the Afghan armed forces. Afghanistan, Belarus and India had inked a trilateral deal on the supply of refurbished Mi-24 helicopters.
Under the three-way pact, Belarus was to upgrade the choppers, which were to be paid for by India. Two of the helicopters will be delivered to Afghanistan in April.
The remaining two may be handed over to Kabul in June or July, according to the news report, which suggested that Delhi could help fix and refurbish the Mi-24s and other Russian helicopters and transport aircraft of the Afghan Air Force.
PAN Monitor/mud
