The Taliban reportedly shot down an Afghan Air Force MD-530 helicopter in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province near the Lashkar Gah airport on Jul. 30, 2021.

Witness footage shows the aircraft rapidly descending, although in a controlled manner. The pilots reportedly survived the incident and were recovered by Afghan ground troops. Afghan officials claimed the aircraft made an emergency landing due to technical issues, but didn't necessarily discredit the Taliban's claim of responsibility.