Afghan military plane downed by Uzbekistan’s air defence system

TOPSHOT - Afghans crowd at the tarmac of the Kabul airport on August 16, 2021, to flee the country as the Taliban were in control of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20-year war. Picture: AFP via Getty Images

The Uzbek authorities said the Afghan military plane that crashed in Uzbekistan on Sunday with only two pilots on board was downed by the country’s air defence system.

Uzbekistan’s defence ministry told Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency that the country’s air defence system “averted an attempt by an Afghan military plane to illegally cross Uzbekistan’s air border”.

The incident took place in the Surkhandarya region in southeastern Uzbekistan on Sunday and was first reported by local media.

Uzbekistan’s defence ministry initially said it was studying the reports of the crash, then confirmed the crash took place without offering any details, and only later on Monday revealed the plane was downed.

According to RIA Novosti, two pilots of the plane survived the crash and have been taken to hospital in serious condition.