A new security claim has emerged from Afghanistan after Green Trend, a movement led by former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, alleged that its military wing, the Green Unit, shot down a Taliban-operated Cheetah helicopter in the Arzoy area of Panjshir Province.
According to the group’s account, the incident occurred during the early morning hours and involved a helicopter identified as an Indian-made Cheetah aircraft operated by Taliban forces. Green Trend has claimed responsibility for the incident, presenting it as an operation carried out by its armed wing against Taliban aviation assets in the strategically significant Panjshir region.
The group further claimed that two pilots, identified as Abdul Azeem and Mohammad Naeem, sustained serious injuries in the incident. It also alleged that Mullah Qiblaullah Muqeem, identified in the statement as the Taliban Air Force chief of staff, was seriously injured.
According to Green Trend’s account, the injured personnel were subsequently evacuated to Kabul aboard a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter. The details surrounding the alleged engagement, the extent of the damage to the Cheetah helicopter, and the circumstances of the reported evacuation have not been independently verified.
Panjshir remains a significant location in Afghanistan’s evolving security landscape. The province has long held strategic and symbolic importance in the country’s history of armed resistance, and claims of renewed military activity there carry implications for the wider security situation.
If independently substantiated, the reported incident could raise questions about the security of Taliban-operated aviation assets, the operational capabilities of anti-Taliban armed groups, and the risks facing personnel involved in military aviation operations.
The alleged involvement of the Green Unit also places renewed attention on Green Trend’s claims of continued armed resistance against Taliban rule. However, the operational circumstances of the reported incident, including the precise location, the sequence of events, and the methods allegedly used to bring down the aircraft, remain unclear based on the information currently available.
