Dozens of helicopters flown out of Afghanistan during the fall of the Western-backed government in 2021 are expected to be returned from Uzbekistan to Kabul in the coming days, sources told Afghanistan International.

According to the sources, 57 helicopters that once belonged to the former Afghan army will be transferred back. After the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in August 2021, Afghan military pilots flew a number of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The US Department of Defense previously confirmed that 46 aircraft were flown to Uzbekistan and another 18 to Tajikistan. The fleet included Mi-17 and UH-60 helicopters, as well as PC-12, C-208, AC-208 and A-29 fixed-wing aircraft.

The Taliban has repeatedly demanded that both countries hand over the aircraft, but officials in Tashkent and Dushanbe have not publicly commented on those requests.

The US ambassador to Uzbekistan earlier said that under a new agreement, 46 of the aircraft that had landed in the country would remain under Uzbek control. The US Embassy for Afghanistan also thanked Tajikistan for refusing to transfer former Afghan military aircraft to the Taliban.

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled to Uzbekistan aboard three military helicopters with several close aides before later travelling on to the United Arab Emirates.

A former Afghan security commander said the United States had equipped the country’s air force with 229 helicopters, both combat and transport, before the Taliban takeover.