An unidentified aircraft with the markings of the Afghan Air Force crashed in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan on the evening of August 15, 2021.
The two operators of the military plane managed to eject and were retrieved from the crash site. They were hospitalized at a local hospital to treat the injuries they sustained during the incident.
Reportedly, the Afghan servicemen have suffered penetrating chest trauma and concussions, according to Gazeta.uz.
The pictures on social media platforms show the aircraft’s debris and paramedics attending to the injured crew.
JUST IN: A plane with the insignia of the Afghan Air Force crashed in the Sherabad district of the Surkhandarya region on the evening of August 15.
According to sources, those on the aircraft managed to jump out with parachutes. #AfghanistanCrisis #TalibanTakeover pic.twitter.com/xEyzaaDs6h
— Anonymous Operations (@AnonOpsSE) August 16, 2021
Uzbekistan reported having detained 84 Afghan soldiers that had crossed the border, pleading for medical help on August 15, 2021. The same day, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani escaped the country to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent as the Taliban entered Kabul.
UPDATE: The aircraft was reportedly shot down by Uzbek forces as it entered the country’s airspace. “Uzbekistan’s air defense forces prevented an attempt by an Afghan military aircraft to illegally cross Uzbekistan’s border,” a spokesman from Uzbekistan defense ministry said.