Taliban assassinations of Afghan pilots this month mark another worrisome development for the Afghan Air Force as it reels from a surge in fighting, a U.S. government watchdog said in a report released on Thursday.<br />''<br />''At least seven Afghan pilots have been assassinated off base in recent months, two senior Afghan government officials told media, part of what the Taliban says is a campaign to see U.S.-trained Afghan pilots targeted and eliminated.<br />''<br />''As the United States prepares to formally end its 20-year military mission in Afghanistan on 31 August, Taliban insurgents are quickly seizing territory once controlled by the U.S.-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani, raising fears they could eventually try to take the capital Kabul.<br />''<br />''The AAF's fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, for example, had a 39 percent readiness rate in June, about half the level of April and May. All Afghan airframes were flying at least 25 percent over their recommended scheduled-maintenance intervals, Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, SIGAR reported.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #000000;">Along with Afghanistan's Special Forces, the Afghan Air Force is a pillar of the nation's strategy for preventing a Taliban takeover of cities. But special operations forces are also being misused, SIGAR reported.</span><br />