Pakistan on Monday returned five helicopters given by the US in 2002 for monitoring of the Afghan border – after returning another four earlier this month.

According to India’s Economic Times, officials said the helicopters had played a vital role in combating militancy and drug trafficking.

Sources said however that “Pakistan decided to return the aircrafts after the two sides could not agree on their further use by Islamabad.”

According to the report, four helicopters were returned on October 15 while another five were loaded on to a transport plane in Islamabad on Monday and sent back.

The report states that the Ministry of Interior’s air wing now has only three Cessna aircraft.