Afghan Militants Abduct 11 After Turkish Military Helicopter Makes An Emergency Landing

Afghan Militants Abduct 11 After Turkish Military Helicopter Makes An Emergency Landing

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A Turkish military helicopter made an emergency landing in Afghanistan where members of the Taliban abducted 11 of those on board, local officials said Monday.

The helicopter, which was contracted by NATO, landed in the Mangal Pass area of the district of Azra, located in Afghanistan's Logar Province, on Sunday evening due to bad weather conditions, although some media reports said there were technical malfunctions as well.

According to Pajhwok Afghan News, the helicopter was on its way back to Kabul, as it was airlifting supplies for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) when it made the safe emergency landing.

A local official, Hamidullah Hamid, told the media outlet that Taliban fighters surrounded the aircraft and abducted all eleven foreigners on board. Among them were six Turkish engineers, two more engineers from Uzbekistan, as well as an Afghan engineer and an Afghan soldier. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Security forces have been working with tribal elders in order to recover those abducted.
(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)