Taliban seizes attack chopper ‘gifted by India’ to Afghanistan Air Force

An attack helicopter that was gifted to the Afghanistan Air Force by India in 2019, as part of capacity-building efforts, has fallen into Taliban’s hands, with videos and photos emerging from the Kunduz Airbase that fell to hostile forces earlier this week.

The Mi 24 attack helicopter, a versatile gunship of Russian origin, seems to have been abandoned by Afghan forces and is no longer in operational condition. The helicopter seems to have been stripped of all critical parts like the engine and rotor blades, with sources indicating that it was being cannibalised for spare parts to keep the remaining force operational.