Taliban claims to test guided rocket system in Kabul

The Taliban's interim government has claimed that it had successfully tested a new guided rocket system in the capital Kabul.

Interim Defence Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said on Saturday that the Milan Konkursi (9M135) guided missile system was tested at the administration's artillery headquarters.

According to Khowarazmi, the guided rocket system targets armoured tanks, warships, and low-flying helicopters.

He added that 13 soldiers had completed training to operate the system.

"This guided rocket was activated for the first time in the country," Khowarazmi said but gave no further details on how the Taliban developed the system.

The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces, ending a two-decade war in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Taliban claimed that its interim administration had repaired 70 military planes and helicopters damaged by US forces before they departed from Afghanistan.

According to CNN, the US left behind around $7 billion worth of military equipment and weapons in Afghanistan, handed over to the former Afghan government over 16 years. The Taliban took control of this stockpile after seizing Kabul.

However, reports indicated that US forces damaged various military aircraft, helicopters, and other vehicles before leaving the country on August 31, 2021.