Tel Aviv. The Taliban terror organization that is now controlling Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the US forces, is trying to form an air unit that will use helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft left in some bases to achieve combat aerial capabilities, according to the Israeli-based MEMRI institute report.
Israeli experts say that the Taliban is seeking help from China to achieve aerial combat capabilities. One of the experts said that China will “be happy” to assist the Taliban’s effort.
Dr. Mordechai Kedar, an Israeli expert on Islamic issues says that the Chinese want to put their hand on the wealth of natural resources in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has over 1,400 mineral fields, containing barite, chromite, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, natural gas, petroleum, precious and semi-precious stones, salt, sulfur, lithium, talc, and zinc, among many other minerals. Gemstones include high-quality emerald, lapis lazuli, red garnet, and ruby.
Kedar added that the China also want to have an influence on Afghanistan, a neighbouring country. “The Taliban may use the new air unit to attack American targets but they will weigh the retaliation expected for such attacks. The Chinese involvement in Afghanistan may also reflect on the Taliban plans to use this capability to attack US interstates”.
The MEMRI institute is exploring the Middle East and South Asia through their media, in order to bridge the language gap between the West and the Middle East and South Asia, by providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu-Pashtu, Dari, Turkish, Russian and Chinese media reports, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends.
The Americans left behind A-29 attack plane and MD-530 utility helicopter. The terror organization has now access the Afghan inventory of aircraft and it is trying to persuade pilots of this airforce that fled to neighbouring countries sometimes using their aircraft to come back.
According to the MEMRI report, since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) took over the country in August, media reports have indicated that they have taken control of military hardware left by the US and other NATO member states. Now the jihadi group is set to run the Afghan air force.
“There have been concerns that Pakistan, a major patron of the Islamic Emirate and China, which has trained Taliban fighters in Xinjiang province, would seek to obtain the military hardware left behind by the United States in Afghanistan”.
The MEMRI report says that while addressing a meeting of Kabul airport personnel on December 3, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban’s acting defense minister and son of late Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, announced that the Islamic Emirate will establish an air force.
“We will establish an air force that will not need the support of the US, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan,” Yaqoob said.
For the first time since the Taliban took power, the Taliban-led Afghan air force conducted a military maneuver in the northern province of Balkh on November 29, according to an Afghan media report.
According to the MEMRI report, in the maneouvers in Balkh province, the Islamic Emirate’s pilots used MI-17 and MD helicopters that the US had provided to the air force of the previous Afghan government.
A media report said, noting that a number of the former government’s air force staff, especially technical personnel, are now working for the air force under the Islamic Emirate in Balkh province. Mohammad Ikram Stanikzai, an air force officer, said: “Our engineers resolve technical problems and are working here to serve the country.”
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
