“Afghan President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard”, a Pakistani military spokesman said. An Afghan driver was also wounded in the attack.
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Spokesman for the Governor of Logar, Sameem Saleh said that those passengers and crew members who were detained by the Taliban group are all Pakistanis.
The group of a dozen travellers was being escorted by Afghan army personnel to Herat city when it was ambushed, Afghan officials told the BBC. Normally, Taliban officials promptly accept responsibility for the activity undertaken by the militants.
The statement further added that the Civil Aviation Authority of Afghanistan only granted permission for the helicopter to use the Afghan airspace after recording the specifications of the helicopter.
Logar province has been increasingly lawless since the launch two years ago of a military operation in neighbouring Pakistani tribal areas pushed many Taliban and allied fighters into Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s army has requested help from U.S. forces in Afghanistan to find and rescue the crew taken hostage by the Taliban after a government helicopter crash-landed in the country.
Other military officials, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said three of those aboard the helicopter were retired security officials. He said that the fate of the crew and passengers was not yet clear. He appealed to the government employees to play their role in the ongoing freedom movement of which they are an important part.Meanwhile, Hurriyet leadership have extended shutdown in the Valley till 12th of this month.
The Russian-made chopper, owned by the provincial government of Punjab, was on its way to Russia on routine maintenance when it suffered unknown technical glitch and had to force land in Azra district of restive Logar province.
Pakistani military officials said Thursday night that Gen. Raheel Sharif, the army commander, had called Gen. John Nicholson, the U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, to ask for assistance in rescuing the crew.
According to early reports, the tourists were heading to see historical monuments in Herat, TOLOnews said.
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The official could not confirm the whereabouts of the seven people who were in the chopper.
