In response to SOS, the Afghan commando was caught in a fierce attack by the Taliban Reuters

Siddiqui

Kandahar, Afghanistan (Reuters)-Minutes after returning from a mission before dawn on Tuesday, an exhausted Afghan commando convoy was speeding away from the base, trying to rescue a wounded policeman trapped by Taliban insurgents on the outskirts of Kandahar.

The previous outing was very intense, but very quiet. In the Taliban stronghold before the Taliban was overthrown in 2001, this operation in the southern city was definitely not the case.

According to a Reuters reporter who accompanied them, when they approached the checkpoint where the police Ahmed Shah hid alone for 18 hours, about 30-40 special forces soldiers in a row of Humvees were exposed to automatic weapons. shooting.

When the convoy rushed to Shah’s position, a gun battle broke out and he was hurriedly loaded into one of them.

Then came a series of loud explosions; the first three of the eight Hummers were hit by rockets, and the damage was so severe that they could not continue.

In the ensuing chaos, the commandos in the disabled vehicle hurriedly changed trucks. Gunshots seemed to come from all directions; on the left was the cemetery, and on the right was the dense eucalyptus.

A series of bullets bounced off the metal armor of the Hummer. The gunman on the Humvee spun wildly, aiming at the hard-to-see suspected Taliban fighters and firing.

The remaining Hummer was hit several times by rocket-propelled grenades, the explosion sounded in the crowded metal interior, and the vehicle shook violently.

The convoy accelerated away. On the side of the road, a bystander-a little boy-avoided.

The spread of violence

The mission on Tuesday emphasized the relentless demands on the Afghan army, as Taliban fighters seized more territory and foreign troops completed their withdrawal after 20 years of fruitless conflict.

The hit-and-run tactics of the insurgents make them difficult to suppress. Although the air support of Afghan fighters can provide cover in places with few civilians, it is risky to do so in urban areas.

The commando convoy was blocked by traffic flowing into Kandahar shortly after leaving the base on Tuesday.

With bullets flying in the attack a few minutes’ drive away, the Hummer had to shuttle between civilian cars caught in the crossfire.

There was no immediate report of the commando’s death on Tuesday. Shah’s leg was injured in a grenade explosion and was successfully rescued.

After leaving the community, some teams went to the police base on the top of the mountain to regroup with Shah.

“We have 15 people (police), except me, all my comrades in arms surrendered (to the Taliban),” Shah, who was obviously tired, told Reuters. He said he had been fighting for two days.

“I told myself I wouldn’t do that. As long as I have a gun, why should I give up?”

The Shah will be transported back to the main commando base, while other members of the force plan to return to try to evacuate the damaged Humvee and fight against Taliban fighters hiding in the city.

The location on the top of the mountain gives a sense of calmness and offers a peaceful view of the vast low-rise city below. Kandahar and most of the rest of Afghanistan are again being contested.