Afghan Air Force pilot killed in sticky bomb attack, Kabul

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 51%. (I'm a bot)

KABUL, Aug 7 - An Afghan Air Force pilot was killed by a bomb in Kabul on Saturday, officials said, in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

Azimi was trained to fly U.S.-made UH60 Black Hawk helicopters and had served with the Afghan Air Force for almost four years, the force's commander, Abdul Fatah Eshaqzai, told Reuters.

Reuters was first to detail a Taliban campaign to assassinate pilots off-base that Afghan officials say claimed the lives of at least seven Afghan pilots before Saturday's killing.

The Taliban - who have no air force - want to level the playing field as they press major ground offensives that have seen them swiftly seize territory since May. Emboldened by Washington's announcement that it was ending its military mission by the end of August, the Taliban has launched a military blitz across the country which has gained momentum in recent days.

As the Taliban eye other cities, the Afghan Air Force has played a crucial role in holding them back.

Azimi's death came just days after the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, in a report to the U.S. Congress, said the targeting of pilots detailed by Reuters was another "Worrisome development" for the Afghan Air Force as it reels from a surge in fighting.

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