From John Nelson
KABUL: Two pilots were killed Sunday when a U.S.-made military helicopter crashed in the north of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s defense ministry said.
“An MD-530 helicopter of the country’s air force, which was flying from Mazar-e-Sharif airfield towards Samangan, collided with an electricity pylon,” the defense minister tweeted.
In September, a Black Hawk helicopter commandeered by the Taliban government after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan crashed during a training session in Kabul, killing two pilots and a crew member.
When exiting the country in 2021, the U.S. military left behind billions of dollars’ worth of aircraft, vehicles, weapons and other hardware — much of which it said had been rendered inoperable.
Some helicopters were also flown by former Afghan government forces to Central Asian countries before the Taliban took full control of the country.
The Taliban authorities have managed to repair some aircraft, including helicopters, which are believed to be now flown by pilots from the former government forces.
The regime showcased an array of equipment during a military parade, August 31 last year, when they celebrated the first anniversary of their return to power.
