The Pentagon: Afghan helicopters in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will not be handed over to Taliban

As the Pentagon reports, former Afghan army helicopters have flown to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan since Kabul fell to the Taliban. The Taliban has repeatedly called on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to return the helicopters to Afghanistan. Earlier, the media reported that Dushanbe and Tashkent had applied to the United States for permission to leave a number of helicopters.

A Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, told a news briefing on January 18 that they were still working on the fate of the helicopters. "But I don't think they will be sent to Afghanistan for the usage by Taliban" - he added.
Moreover, the spokesman mentioned discussions on the fate of the helicopters were still ongoing.

The Pentagon's statement was released after a minister in the world's unrecognized Taliban government warned Tajikistan and Uzbekistan last week that they must return planes and helicopters to Afghanistan that were taken to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan after the fall of the previous government. Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob (son of Mullah Umar, founder of the Taliban), who is now acting as Afghan Defense Minister, said during an Afghan air force exercise in Kabul on January 11 that Tajikistan and Uzbekistan “should not test the patience of the Afghans in this regard”.

"The planes you have should be returned to us, if they are in Tajikistan or Uzbekistan. We will never allow our planes to stay abroad and be used there”- he continued.