Afghan Pilots Leaving For UAE Amid Taliban Pressure To Return: Report

The US-trained Afghan pilots and other personnel left under a US deal that came despite Taliban pressure for the return of the pilots and aircraft.

U.S.-trained Afghan pilots and other personnel held in an Uzbek camp for about a month began leaving the country on Sunday, one of the pilots told Reuters, under a U.S. deal that came despite Taliban demands for the return of the Afghans and their aircraft. The first group is at least initially heading to the United Arab Emirates, the pilot said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The transfer was expected to take place in several waves, starting on Sunday and ending in the next day or so. Reuters was first to report that the pilots have started departing Uzbekistan. The U.S. State Department and Uzbekistan's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters previously disclosed tension at the Uzbek camp, with the pilots fearing being sent back to Afghanistan and killed by the Taliban. The Taliban have said they will not carry out reprisals after taking control of the country in August.