Afghan pilots, who were trained by the US, and other personnel boarded a US-brokered flight out of Tajikistan on Tuesday, ending a nearly three-month detention ordeal that began when they escaped there in their aircraft during the Taliban takeover, Afghan sources said.

The plight of the pilots had attracted US congressional scrutiny — with lawmakers and military veterans frustrated by what they believed was a sluggish US relocation effort.

One pilot shared images of the group boarding the aircraft, saying it was destined for the UAE. Flight-tracking data showed it had left the country.

“It’s a relief,” said David Hicks, a retired US brigadier general who is helping lead a charity called Operation Sacred Promise working to evacuate and resettle Afghan air force personnel.

The group of evacuees included a US-trained Afghan pilot at an advanced stage of pregnancy.