The Taliban issued a statement on February 18, 2007 claiming they had shot down a US helicopter with a surface to air missile.
Taliban fighters admit to a using sophisticated surface-to-air (SAM 7) missile to shoot down a US helicopter in Afghanistan on Sunday. The Taliban sources claim that they will now be using advanced weapons in their fight against foreigners.
ADN Kronos reports:
Taliban fighters using Surface-to-Air Missile 7 (SAM 7) brought down a coalition CH-47 Chinook helicopter in south-eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, according to high-level Taliban sources speaking to Adnkronos International (AKI). According to the sources, who provided AKI with exclusive documents and video CDs, the attack on the helicopter marks the start of the Taliban spring uprising and the use of more sophisticated weapons in their fight against foreign forces. Coalition forces said aircraft crashed killing eight people because it had “a sudden, unexplained loss of power and control”.
The Taliban sources told AKI that they would be using more advanced missile technology in their upcoming attacks. The militant group had acquired the surface to air missiles in 2005 and had arranged for a training programme for its fighters.
Previously the use of SAM missiles was restricted because of the inexperience of the Taliban fighters. The training programme was set up in al-Qaeda Shankiari training camp in the town of Khost in eastern Afghanistan where guerrilla fighters like Abul Lais Al-Libbi and others arranged for training sessions for the Taliban fighters.
“There are many more technological surprises in the store,” said a Taliban source.
Back in May 2006, there were reports from that Iran was supplying Al Qaeda in Iraq with SAM 7 missiles.
Iran Focus reported:
The Iraqi daily az-Zaman which is published in London and Baghdad quoted credible Iraqi sources as revealing that the IRGC had given al-Qaeda in Iraq, Strela-type SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles, modern explosives, and a large number of personnel arms including Kalashnikovs and BKC machineguns.
