Taliban ‘FLYING captured Black Hawk helicopter over Afghan city amid fears fanatics will launch airstrikes on civilians’
TALIBAN have been spotted flying a US-made Black Hawk chopper amid fears the ruthless fanatics are set to unleash airstrikes on civilians.
Footage shows a helicopter prowling the skies above Kabul just hours before the last remnants of the American military evacuated the capital's airport.
A video shows a a man suspended from a captured Black Hawk helicopter while it patrols a city in Afghanistan.
Reuters reports closer shot-video and photos of what appear to be the same helicopter strongly suggest the man was alive.
This is despite earlier claims that the man had been hanged from the chopper.
It had prompted US Republican senator Ted Cruz to tweet: "This horrifying image encapsulates Joe Biden's Afghanistan catastrophe.
"The Taliban hanging a man from an American Blackhawk helicopter. Tragic. Unimaginable."
But Reuters later confirmed this was not the case.
Responding to the video, freelance journalist Bilal Sarwaryays told the news agency: "The Afghan pilot... is someone I have known over the years.
"He was trained in the US and UAE, he confirmed to me that he flew the Black Hawk helicopter.
"Taliban fighter seen here was trying to install Taliban flag from air but it didn’t work in the end."
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The prospect of a US trained pilots — who previously worked for the toppled regime — serving the Taliban has raised fears the militants will deploy air power to eliminate any civilian opposition as it cements its grip on power.
The clip was uploaded by an account called Talib Times - a page claiming to be the official news source for the Islamic Emirate.
"Our Air Force! At this time, the Islamic Emirate's air force helicopters are flying over Kandahar city and patrolling the city," the tweet read.
Just days before, social media footage appeared to show militants taking the same-style helicopters for a joy ride.
However the pilot but was unable to get the aircraft off the ground.
It remains unknown if the fighters have been trained to fly the helicopter or who was at the controls.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have seized around £62billion worth of military equipment from Western forces including state-of-the-art helicopters and armoured vehicles.
An eye-watering amount of US military inventory is now in the hands of the terror group after they surged across the war-torn nation in a matter of weeks, plundering stocks of weapons and vehicles.
According to US Republican Congressman Jim Banks - who served in Afghanistan as an officer in charge of supplying weapons - the group now has "more Black Hawk helicopters than 85 per cent of the countries in the world".
"Due to the negligence of this administration, the Taliban now has access to $85billion (£62billion) worth of military equipment," he said.
"Unbelievably, and unfathomable to me and so many others, the Taliban now has access to biometric devices.
"This administration still has no plan to get this military equipment or supplies back.";
Photos from today show Taliban fighters inside the Kabul airport inspecting equipment including Chinook helicopters that were left behind by the US military.
'TERROR THREAT'
Equipment that was given to the Afghan army by the US is also now likely in the hands of the Taliban.
More than 200,000 firearms were donated to the Afghan army, including M24 snipers and assault weapons, according to a Department of Defense report.
The US has also funded more than 20,000 Humvees and 40,000 light tactical vehicles, including Ford pickup trucks, to Afghan defence forces.
The Taliban's distinctive white flags are often seen flying from the four-wheel-drive military trucks.
Afghan troops were also given around 1,000 wrecker trucks including hundreds of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.
It comes after experts warned that Britain is facing its worst terror threat in years after the Taliban's take over of Afghanistan.
The warning comes as Boris Johnson has suggested the UK would deal with the fanatics in return for them not allowing Afghanistan to be used as a base for terrorism.
TALIBAN CELEBRATIONS
When the Taliban first ruled the country, they allowed Al-Qaeda to use it to establish training camps and plot terror, including the 9/11 attacks.
That ultimately led to their downfall when they refused to hand over Osama bin Laden to the Americans, prompting them to invade along with the UK in a bid to capture the terror mastermind.
The Taliban have promised not to allow the same thing to happen again but experts are sceptical they will keep their word and that once again, the UK faces terror plots hatched in Afghanistan.
Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told Times Radio the UK faced “the greatest danger from terrorism since the Islamic State at its height”.
Meanwhile, Taliban fighters celebrated the US withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting.
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Fireworks were let off while others fired weapons into the skies above Kabul on Monday as the last American soldier was pictured leaving the country.
Footage taken in shows Taliban members shooting celebratory gunfire into the air after watching the last US planes take off just before midnight local time.
