Uzbekistan denies reports of returning Afghan military helicopters, calls claims baseless

Tashkent [Uzbekistan], September 14 (ANI): Uzbekistan has refuted reports claiming that the country agreed to return Afghanistan’s military helicopters and aircraft, Tolo News reported.

A spokesperson for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry told domestic media that Tashkent’s stance on the issue remains unchanged and described the reports as baseless.

“These reports do not correspond to reality. Uzbekistan’s position remains unchanged. This is fake news,” Akhror Burkhanov, spokesperson for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, said, Tolo News reported.

Earlier, some reports had suggested that Uzbekistan had agreed to return Afghanistan’s helicopters and military planes.

Hamidullah, a military affairs expert, clarified the situation, stating, “These helicopters went to Uzbekistan from Afghanistan, not from the United States. If the US has any claims, they are with us. Uzbekistan has no right to hand over Afghanistan’s helicopters unilaterally to America.”

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly demanded the return of military helicopters and aircraft that were transferred to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan following the fall of the previous government, a call that has continued for the past four years.

Just yesterday, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, reiterated the urgent need for these helicopters and planes during a meeting at his ministry’s headquarters.

“Since proper management requires resources, we call on those countries where our helicopters were transferred four years ago to return them to the Afghan government for use in rescue operations,” he said, Tolo News reported.

Political analyst Janat Faheem Chikri described Uzbekistan’s refusal as “concerning and against the principles of good neighborliness. We expected that these helicopters would be returned.”

Following the collapse of the previous government, a total of 46 Afghan military aircraft and helicopters were transferred to Uzbekistan.

Some Afghan military equipment was also transferred to Tajikistan, though its fate remains unclear, Tolo News noted. (ANI)

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