Afghanistan Ready To Use India’s Mi-35 Helicopters

Three Mi-35 helicopters that India donated to Afghanistan last month are now fully operational to combat terrorism in the war-torn country, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

According to the Defense Ministry, the multirole helicopters will be used in the ongoing Helmand battle for the first time.

"We have always been helped by India. The helicopters donated by India to Afghanistan have been assembled and will help us fight terrorists," Ghulam Sakhi Ahmadzai, deputy chief of procurement of the Defense Ministry, was quoted as saying by Tolo news agency.

Thanking India for its cooperation, air force commander Abdul Wahab Wardak said help from regional and global countries was crucial for bringing peace and stability to the country.

"The [Indian) helicopters are very suitable for the climate and the location of the country and they can give further morale to the security forces in their operations against terrorists," he said.

"As we are helped by India and the US we need the same cooperation from other countries because the Taliban, Daesh and al-Qaeda are not only the enemy for Afghanistan but [the enemy of] any country in the world," Wardek said.

The Three helicopters were handed over to Afghanistan during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kabul in December last year, whereas, the fourth helicopter is expected to be delivered soon.