Afghan military plane shot down by Uzbek forces

An Afghan military plane was shot down by Uzbek air defences for violating the border, reported international media.

The incident happened on Sunday. However, the pilot ejected and survived, the Uzbek defence ministry was quoted as saying earlier.

An Afghan military jet has crashed after crossing the border into Uzbekistan and its pilot ejected and survived: Uzbek defence ministry. pic.twitter.com/UkpCxNcrYf

— Arvind Chauhan (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) August 16, 2021

Meanwhile, several military jets carrying over 100 Afghan soldiers have landed at the airport in the Tajik city of Bokhtar, confirmed the Tajik foreign affairs ministry on Monday.

Tajikistan has rejected reports about the arrival of Ghani after he fled Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops.

President Ashraf Ghani, along with his close aides, flew out of Afghanis tan on Sunday, paving way for Taliban to regain power 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted them.

A senior Afghan Interior Ministry official confirmed the development to Reuters. Asked for comment, the president’s office said it “cannot say anything about Ashraf Ghani’s movement for security reasons”.

Shortly after President Ghani flew out of the country, Taliban commanders claimed that they “took control” of the presidential palace in Kabul, Russia’s RT reported. The report quoted the group as saying that it expected a total handover of power.

Two officials from the militant group told Reuters there would be no transitional government following their lighting sweep across Afghanistan.

Ghani’s destination was uncertain: a senior Interior Ministry official said he had left for Tajikistan, while a Foreign Ministry official said his location was unknown and the Taliban said it was checking his whereabouts. Some local social media users branded him a “coward” for leaving them in chaos.

Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, said Ghani had left and blamed him for the country’s situation.

“The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah said in a Facebook Live video. “God should hold him accountable.”

Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who is said to have accompanied Ghani and the others who left, in a tweet vowed not to bow to the Taliban, but he did not respond in the message to reports of him leaving the country.