US takes back nine helicopters from Pakistan provided for anti-terror operations

Dunya News

Four units were returned last year while five helicopters are set to be returned come Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – US had given nine helicopters to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry for anti- terror and recon operations at Pak-Afghan border in year 2002 but later decided to take them back, four units were taken back to US last year while five remaining helicopters are set to be returned on Tuesday.

The helicopter’s operational command structure consisted of US personnels and helicopter flights were only given green signal after clearance from US personnels in their entire operational history in Pakistan.

The command crew for helicopters used to be granted Pakistani visas for five years as long as helicopters remained operational in Pakistan.

The five remaining helicopter units will be loaded in US cargo aircraft at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, from where the flight will take off with remaining units on Tuesday.