Black Hawk helicopter crashes during Taliban training, 3 killed

KABUL (AFP): A Black Hawk helicopter commandeered by the Taliban after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan crashed during a training session at the weekend, killing two pilots and a crew member, the defence ministry said.

The incident occurred Saturday on the campus of the country’s defence university in the capital Kabul.

The Black Hawk crashed due to “a technical problem during a training exercise”, the ministry said, adding five crew members were also injured.

When exiting the country last year, the US military left behind billions of dollars worth of aircraft, vehicles, weapons and other hardware — much of which it said had been rendered inoperable.

Some helicopters were also flown by former Afghan government forces to central Asian countries before the Taliban took full control of the country.

The Taliban have managed to repair some aircraft, including helicopters, which are believed to be now flown by pilots from the former government forces.

The regime showcased an array of equipment during a military parade on August 31 when they celebrated the first anniversary of their return to power.