AAF aircraft to stay in Uzbekistan, says US

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States (US) and Uzbekistan have agreed on the fate of the military helicopters and airplanes hijacked by Afghan Air Force (AAF) pilots to the Central Asian country in 2021.

US Ambassador in Tashkent Jonathan Henick told Uzbek Kun News Washington and Tashkent had reached an agreement on the status of fighter jets and military helicopters belonging to the Afghan army that were flown by Afghan pilots to Uzbekistan in 2021.

Responding to a question, Henick said: “Military vehicles will remain in Uzbekistan. This has already been official.”

Henick noted the Uzbek and US sides continued to work jointly on the issue. “These vehicles never belonged to the Afghans, they belonged to the US. The Afghan army used them, but we were always the owners.”

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not yet commented on the US ambassador’s remarks.

However, Minister of Defence Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid had previously said: ““Our aircraft that are in Tajikistan or Uzbekistan should be returned.”

The minister added: “We will not allow the aircraft to remain abroad or to be used by those countries.”

Following the fall of the former government in August 2021, more than 40 helicopters were hijacked by Afghan pilots to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

kk/mud