In August 2021, the governments of Uzbekistan and the United States were in discussions regarding the fate of aircraft and helicopters that had been brought into Uzbekistan by evacuees from Afghanistan. The U.S. Ambassador in Tashkent, Jonathan Henick, informed "Gazeta.uz" about these ongoing discussions.
Ambassador Henick stated, "We are actively working with the Uzbekistani government on the final placement of these aircraft, and we will make an official announcement regarding this matter."
As per his statements, military aviation equipment remains present in the Surkhandarya region. On October 17, the governor of Surkhandarya province, Ulugbek Qosimov, advised against making public statements on the issue and stressed the need to obtain information through military channels.
On August 16, 2021, the Uzbekistan Prosecutor General's Office reported that 585 Afghan military personnel, along with 22 aircraft and 24 helicopters, had landed within the country's airspace. During monitoring, incidents involving EMBRAER-314 and MiG-29 aircraft were observed, and they landed in the Sherabad district of Surkhandarya province.
In late October, a report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) confirmed that a significant portion of Afghan government military aircraft was located in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Taliban called for the return of Afghan helicopters, considering them as national assets that needed to be repatriated. They also emphasized that Uzbekistan and Tajikistan should not test their patience or engage in hostile actions, suggesting that it would be in the best interest of both countries, rather than waiting for the Taliban to take action.
Subsequently, the Taliban spokesperson, Suhail Shaheen, assured that they would not interfere in the relationships between friendly nations regarding aviation equipment.
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