Our first priority is the safe recovery of the crew. Helicopter was going to Russian Federation for maintenance.
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“General Nicolson assured all possible help in this regard”, it said. “Prayers for my dear friends safe return”, tweeted Shahbaz Sharif, the prime minister’s brother and chief minister of the Punjab provincial government that operates the helicopter.
Spokeswoman Jenny Jones said that the British embassy in Kabul helped its citizens that were affected by the attack and said that the diplomatic institution was coordinating actions with Afghan officials. None of the injuries was said to be life-threatening, and it was unclear whether the three Americans in the vehicle were hurt.
Agencies add: Afghan defence ministry said in a statement they had launched an investigation into the incident.
All crew members aboard a Pakistani helicopter that crashlanded in Afghanistan were safe, Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad Omar Zakhilwal said on Friday. The commander’s claim has not been independently verified.
The Afghan government and Afghan National Army authorities had also been contacted for assistance regarding the recovery of the crew members, the DG ISPR said earlier.
Farhad says Afghan security forces rescued the foreigners who were taken to a local hospital and were to be brought to Kabul later in the evening. They said USA and Afghan officials had promised to help. Wearing Afghan traditional clothing, they were on the road from Bamiyan, a relatively safe and ruggedly attractive province, through the vast western province of Ghor, where police asked them to divide into two vehicles for safety.
He added that it was no use seeking help from the Afghan government or US military, because the Taliban are in full control of the district.
Russian-made Mi-17s are used by the Pakistani military.
At least six people were reportedly wounded when gunmen fired on their convoy as it passed through the western province of Herat.
The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident.
A spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Kabul said they were assisting United Kingdom citizens who were involved in the attack and coordinating with local officials.
The Pakistani Mi-17 helicopter crash landed in Azra district of central Logar province on Thursday about 40km east of the district centre due to technical problems.
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But that has not stopped some foreign tourists from travelling to Afghanistan, endowed with stunning landscapes and archaeological sites, many of them in volatile areas prone to the Taliban insurgency.
