Ex-Afghan Military Pilots Join Taliban Air Force, Commander Says

KABUL (Sputnik) - A number of former Afghan air force pilots have taken up service with the Taliban (sanctioned by the UN for terrorism), a provincial military chief said Thursday.

Mawlavi Ataullah Omari, a Taliban commander in the northern Balkh province, announced the launch of a new air force at a base near Mazar-e Sharif, the Bakhtar news agency reported.

"The majority of air force pilots and technicians have returned to their duties and are ready to serve the people along with the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate", he said, referring to the Taliban by its preferred name.

Zia-ul-Haq Aghasi, the new head of the Balkh air force, urged other military professionals to come out of hiding, two days after the Taliban promised amnesty for US-trained pilots.

Many Afghan pilots fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that more than a hundred pilots flew from Tajikistan to the UAE's Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and were being screened for admission to the US.