NEW DELHI – India will supply Afghanistan with four gunship helicoptersahead of the upcoming fighting season, the Hindustan Times reported onWednesday.

The gunship helicopters would be deployed at the borders with Pakistan tocurb the terrorists activities, sources have revealed.

According to the report, Afghanistan reached out to India for assistance inacquiring some helicopters urgently needed to help in counter-terrorismoperations.

The Hindustan Times reported India will underwrite the delivery offour Mi-24 helicopters by Belarus to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, Belarus and India signed a trilateral pact for the refurbishedMi-24 helicopters earlier this month, the Afghan ambassador Shaida Abdalisaid in an interview on Monday.

“We recently were able to sign a trilateral MoU…India will be paying forthe four Mi-24s (which will be delivered) in the next few months. All thefour helicopters (will be) paid (for) by India,” he said.

Afghanistan has a four-year military transition plan backed by the US tomodernise its air force, but the country reached out to India forassistance in acquiring some helicopters needed immediately forcounter-terrorism operations. “India has been kind enough to agree to thatrequest… Afghanistan will have ready helicopters that will be used in thecoming season,” Abdali said.

Two years ago, India supplied four Mi-24s to the Afghan Air Force, markinga significant shift from its earlier reluctance to provide lethal militaryequipment, the Hindustan Times reported.

However, reports indicate that some of these helicopters have been groundedbecause due to the lack of spares. The Hindustan Times reported that Abdalisaid India is working on plans to help repair and refurbish these Mi-24sand other Russian-origin helicopters and transport aircraft of the AfghanAir Force.