This year has seen a marked increase in helicopter crashes in Afghanistan which has left dozens of security forces and civilians dead.
This comes after Wednesday’s military helicopter crash in Anar Dara district of Farah province, which claimed the lives of 27 people.
The helicopter had been en route to Herat from Farah province when it crashed in a mountainous area.
This is the eighth helicopter crash in the country since the end of March. After every incident, officials have said the incidents were either due to bad weather or technical problems.
The cause of the crash on Wednesday was initially said to have been due to a technical problem. However, some sources said the helicopter had been overloaded with passengers.
On Wednesday, 207 Zafar Military Corps spokesman Najibullah Najibi said that two choppers had been flying together when the one crashed.
He said at least 20 people were on board the chopper at the time of the crash including Farah provincial council members and Zafar Military Corps officials.
“This morning (Wednesday), the Defense Ministry’s helicopter which was between Anar Dara district in Farah and Shindand district in Herat, crash landed due to technical problems, in which the crew have been martyred. The head of Farah provincial council and the 207 Zafar Corps deputy were also among those on board,” the government’s media center said in a statement.
The statement said that a delegation has been appointed to probe the incident.
Noorulhaq Khaliqi, a spokesman for the ground forces unit of the corps, confirmed that Farid Bakhtawar, head of Farah Provincial Council had been on board along with a member of the council, Jamila Amini, and Nematullah Khalil, the deputy commander in chief of 207 Zafar Military Corps.
President Ashraf Ghani has sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the helicopter crash in Farah.
Ghani said in a statement that the 207 Zafar Corps deputy Brig. Gen. Nematullah Khalil, head of Farah Provincial Council Farid Bakhtawar, member of the council Jamila Amini, and the pilot Colonel Mohammad Arif and others who lost their lives in the incident were the “real sons of this soil”.
“This is not a vehicle to ride on it on the streets, this flies in the air and there are international rules for it,” said Hamidullah Rahmani, a civil society activist in Farah.
“They (Taliban) have taken control of some heavy weapons, their military equipment has changed (which could be used to target helicopters),” said military analyst Eshaq Atmar.
However, Afghan National Army (ANA) officials argued that the helicopter crashed on Wednesday due to the bad weather, but the Taliban said in a statement and released an apparent video of the crash site, claiming its fighters had shot down the helicopter.
“Aircraft shouldn’t be overloaded, after maintenance, there should be no more than 19 people on board,” said military analyst Atiqullah Amarkhail.
But, what are the real reasons?
Khair Mohammad Noorzai, deputy head of Farah provincial council, meanwhile said: “They should stop using expired and old aircrafts.”