Taliban warns Tajikistan, Uzbekistan to return Afghan aircraft or face consequences

Kabul [Afghanistan], January 12 : Taliban's acting Defense Minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid on Tuesday warned Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to return the Afghan aircraft or they will face consequences.
Speaking at a ceremony in Kabul, during which the air force held an exercise, Mujahid said the military aircraft that were taken abroad should be returned, reported Tolo News.
He warned that if the countries where the military aircraft were taken do not return them, they will face consequences. "Our aircraft that are in Tajikistan or Uzbekistan should be returned. We will not allow these aircraft to remain abroad or to be used by those countries," he said.
The acting defense minister said they will not allow any country to use Afghan military aircraft that were taken out of Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.
The Taliban Defense Ministry said that after the collapse of the former government, over 40 helicopters were transported to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
A number of Russian-made helicopters that were inactive due to technical problems have been repaired by the Islamic Emirate and were showcased on Tuesday. "Our future air force will be dependent on no country," the acting defense minister said, reported Tolo News.
According to reports, before the fall of the former government, Afghanistan had over 164 active military aircraft and now only 81 are in the country. The rest were taken out of Afghanistan and brought to different countries.