US, Uzbekistan reach deal on military aircraft that fled Afghanistan in 2021

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US and Uzbekistan have agreed to release military helicopters and airplanes hijacked by Afghan pilots to Uzbekistan.

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

Responding to a question on whether the planes and helicopters will remain in Uzbekistan, Henick said: “Military vehicles will remain in Uzbekistan. This has already been formalized.”

Henick noted that the Uzbek and US sides continue to work jointly on this issue, adding: “These vehicles never belonged to the Afghans, they belonged to the US. The Afghan army used it, but we were always the owners.”

After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, many fighter jets and military helicopters belonging to the Afghan army were hijacked by Afghan soldiers and taken to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The Prosecutor's Office of Uzbekistan had announced on Aug. 15, 2021, 22 military aircraft and 24 helicopters of the Afghan armed forces violated Uzbek airspace and entered the country.

While the Taliban demanded the return of these aircraft belonging to Afghanistan, Uzbek officials reported that negotiations with the US side on the status of the military vehicles were ongoing.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan