Taliban Helicopter Carrying Officials Crashes in Ghor

The Taliban’s Defense Ministry confirmed that a helicopter belonging to the group crashed in the Tolak district of Ghor province on Wednesday afternoon. The helicopter was carrying “a number of Taliban officials,” but the ministry stated that no one was injured in the incident.

A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows the helicopter crashing shortly after takeoff, but it did not catch fire. Local sources indicate that Taliban Minister of Mines Hedayatullah Badri and his deputy were on board, but they were unharmed.

The Taliban’s Defense Ministry did not disclose the identities or positions of the officials involved in the crash. In a statement, the ministry said, “This afternoon, an Air Force helicopter from Ghor province was flying toward Tolak district when it crashed due to some technical issues during takeoff. Praise be to Allah, all personnel are safe, and there are no casualties.”

This is not the first such incident. On April 26, 2024, a Taliban helicopter crashed into the Firozkoh Sea in Ghor. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan four years ago, approximately eight helicopters from the Defense Ministry have crashed.

Helicopters from the previous Afghan government, now under Taliban control, have also crashed in Kabul, Samangan, Jowzjan, Panjshir, Kandahar, and Ghor. The Taliban has primarily attributed these crashes to “technical issues.”