Afghan military plane crashed in Uzbekistan amid crisis
An Afghan military jet crashed in the neighboring Uzbekistan after being shot down by Uzbek defense forces late on Sunday. The news has been confirmed by the Central Asian country's Defense Ministry, according to news agencies AFP and Reuters. The crash coincided with the appalling collapse of the Afghanistan government and rise of the Taliban over the weekend.
Incident took place on Sunday in Surxondaryo
"The military plane illegally crossed the border of Uzbekistan. An investigation is under way," Uzbek Defense Ministry spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov told AFP. The incident took place on Sunday in Uzbekistan's southern province of Surxondaryo, which borders Afghanistan. However, it remains unclear as to how many people were on board the plane and whether they have survived the crash.
Pilot had ejected and was injured, reports say
Meanwhile, Russia's RIA news agency quoted Uzbekistan's Defense Ministry as saying that the pilot had ejected and was injured. Bekpulat Okboyev, a doctor in the said province, told AFP his hospital had admitted two patients wearing Afghan military uniforms on Sunday evening. He said one of them had come in "with a parachute" and suffered fractures.
Taliban took over Afghanistan as President Ghani fled
The Taliban has gained full control of Afghanistan after its capital Kabul fell and President Ashraf Ghani left the country. The terror group seized many cities in a matter of weeks before reaching Kabul on Sunday and asking for a "peaceful transition" of power, which it was given. Ghani has reportedly fled to the neighboring Tajikistan.
