Germany sending military helicopters to Kabul for rescue missions

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – The German military is dispatching two special forces helicopters to Kabul to evacuate stranded people in Afghanistan, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

Speaking to media representatives in Berlin, Arne Collatz said two H-145M helicopters are on their way to Kabul and could be used for rescue operations.

The choppers have the capacity to land in densely populated areas of cities and remote regions.

Racing against time to evacuate not only Germans but also thousands of local Afghan helpers and their families, the German military aims to get the evacuees to Kabul airport in a bid to fly them out of the war-stricken country.

German military aircraft have so far evacuated more than 1,600 people, according to deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer.

The government of Chancellor Angela Merkel has been sharply criticized by the public for misjudging the Afghan political situation and for the slow-paced evacuation process.

Demmer also said a German national sustained a gunshot wound on the way to Kabul airport.

“He is receiving medical care, but there is no danger to his life. And he will soon be flown out. He is a civilian,” she added.