Uzbekistan Says Hundreds of Afghan Soldiers Flee Over Border With Dozens of Aircraft

A U.S. military helicopter flies above the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images

TASHKENT—Hundreds of Afghan soldiers fled to Uzbekistan in 22 military planes and 24 helicopters over the weekend, including one aircraft that collided with an escorting Uzbek fighter jet causing both to crash, Uzbek prosecutors said on Monday.

A total of 585 Afghan soldiers have arrived by aircraft and 158 more crossed the border on foot on Sunday, the Uzbek prosecutor general’s office said in a statement.