11 Civilians Taken Hostage by Taliban after Helicopter’s Forced Landing in Afghanistan

11 civilians onboard a Turkish transport helicopter were taken hostage by Taliban insurgents after they were forced to make an emergency landing in the Taliban-controlled area, southeast of Kabul in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday.

The civilians included eight Turkish engineers, one Afghan man and the two pilots of the Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter (one Russian pilot and another pilot of unconfirmed nationality), according to reports from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The civilian aircraft were forced to land amidst strong winds and heavy rain in the village of Dahra Mangal, in the Azra District of Logan Province, southeast of Kabul, according to District Governor Hamidullah Hamid. The helicopter landed in the densely forest region, about 12 miles from the Pakistani border.

The Taliban insurgents then showed up and took everyone onboard the helicopter hostage.

Some Afghan officials are worried that the hostages might be taken to Pakistan, where many international terrorist groups are based. In addition, the helicopter landed in an area just 20 miles from the Pakistani border.

The Taliban has taken responsibility for the abduction, as they have sent out a statement to the news media on Monday afternoon, including a headline and a dateline. The headline read: ‘’US-NATO Chopper Falls Into Hands of Mujahedeen, All Passengers Detined’’

The statement explained that the hostages they captured worked for the military, with no indication whether they were military contractors or troops. Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, said that the foreign forces, by dissociating themselves from the helicopter, are trying to make it seem as the detainees are civilians but denial will not benefit them as all were captured while wearing American military uniforms.

Bulent Arinc, deputy prime minister of Turkey, has stated on national television the government are working on aplan to get its citizens back. In his words, he said, ‘the foreign ministry is involved with a serious follow-up, and we hope that our citizens will be freed soon and return to their work locations in safety.’

The Russian Embassy in Kabul made no comments on the abduction, but they confirmed its citizen was among the hostages, and have kept a low profile on the matter.

It will be recalled that the Russians generally stayed away from Afghanistan after a brutal war that lasted 10 years. When Russia tried to repair its broken ties with Afghan, it was done on a low profile immediately after the fall of the Taliban, focusing on development projects alone.

 
The Turks may have a better understanding with the Taliban, as they played a vital role in civilian development, coupled with their Muslim faith. Only three weeks ago, Taliban released unharmed a Turkish engineer to his government after lengthy, low profile negotiations by the Turkish government. He was abducted two years ago after been charged for carrying out ‘suspicious activities’.