KABUL: A Pakistani helicopter has crash-landed in the central Logar province of Afghanistan earlier today, the provincial council officials said.
A member of the provincial council Dr. Abdul Wali Wakil said the helicopter crash-landed in the restive Azra district and all 6 Pakistani and one Russian on board were captured by the Taliban, Khaama Press reported.
Provincial governor’s spokesman Salim Saleh has confirmed to RFE that the helicopter belonged to Pakistan and crash-landed in Mati area of Azra district.
He said the helicopter caught fire as soon as it crash-landed but the passengers on board did not suffer any casualties. A local resident has said the helicopter was set on fire by the Taliban as soon as it made an emergency landing.
The Taliban group has not commented regarding the report so far. Taliban and insurgents belonging to the other militant groups are actively operating in a number of the remote districts of Logar province.
However it is yet not clear on what purposes the Pakistani helicopter was hovering over the Afghan air space in central Logar province which is located close to capital Kabul.
Pakistani sources said that the helicopter belonged to Punjab government and was on the way to Uzbekistan for repairing.
