Ahmad Zia Siraj, head of the Afghan National Security Service, ordered: "Surrender Helmand to the Taliban!" Against his order, we fought to the last...
Author: Arsalan KHANZADA,
Afghanistan National Security Officer
Two nights before the fall of Kabul, Ahmad Zia Siraj, Director of the National Security Service, called. It was on that night that we prepared to attack a terrorist's prison in the Marjah district of Helmand province, where a large number of soldiers and innocent people were being held. We were ordered not to take any action: “There will be no operation. UCH helicopters will arrive in the next 22 hours, you should prepare to return to Kabul."
The commander of the special unit of the 906th National Security Directorate in Helmand was Colonel Hazrat Mohammad Mohammadi.
We were all surprised by the words of the director of national security. This was the first time that the chief of staff did not allow us to operate and ordered us to leave Helmand with all the personnel. His words acted like poison on us - everyone asked the same question: why should we leave the base?
The commander told me: “Mr. General, what I feared has happened. The secret negotiations and deals in Doha that British General Bradley told me about last year turned out to be true.”
After that, the commander of the special force's detachment said: "I will not go anywhere, this base is more precious to me than my life."
He pointed to the wall of the room and said angrily: “Look at these photos, Mr. General, these people gave their lives, defending the honor and independence of the country, died for their homeland. And I'm supposed to leave this base without firing a shot and turn it over to the Punjabi mercenaries? In no case!"
I asked him what is your plan, how many days can we resist?
He angrily replied, “It doesn't matter. We will fight. If you want, you can leave. Whoever wants to leave, let him go. I will leave here only when my soul leaves my body.”
I called the head of national security again and said that we are not going anywhere, I, Hazrat Mohammad, and a team of 121 people are ready to defend our base, our Helmand, and its lands.
The head of national security called out on the phone, “This is an order. Why don't you obey? I warn you for the last time: leave the base, otherwise, the responsibility for the consequences lies with you and Hazrat Mohammad, the commander of the National Security Special Forces.”
And the call was cut off.
I looked at the team of 16 officers who were in the meeting and addressed them, “We are in a difficult position. I can't risk the lives of 121 people."
The two-star general stood up and placed his weapon on the table, “Sir, we have been prepared for death since the day we entered this valley. We will fight, I am ready. Those who are not with us, the gates of the base are open, can leave."
The meeting, by a majority vote, decided to defend Lashkargah (the center of Helmand province) and the country. For this purpose, they decided to join the "Maiwand" garrison 215, which was commanded by the traitor Sami Sodot, and contact the police chief, General Khalid Wardak, to create a protective line around the city.
Against all, Sami Sodot (in the photo) was my friend and our colleague.
We, with all the equipment and military equipment, went to the "Maiwand" garrison. The war in Helmand escalated. The enemy, with the help of spies and elders, tried to persuade our posts, battalions, and bases to surrender. The Governor of Helmand was the first to flee Lashkargah. When we arrived at the Shurab camp, the Black Hawk helicopter was preparing to fly. I asked the soldier: “Why is the helicopter turned on?”
The soldier said: “The head of the army corps is going to see you. The chief of police is with him."
Hazrat Mohammad yelled, "Target the helicopter and don't let them fly away."
Our successive shootings were inconclusive and Army Corps Commander Sami Sodot, Khalid Wardak, First Brigade Commander, and Corps Logistics Commander were able to board. We thought that as a result of our shelling, the helicopter would fall, but luck smiled on the traitors, they managed to escape, and we were left alone among the wolves and traitors to the motherland.
The soldiers who came to us from all directions did not know about the shameful deal, and everyone was worried about one question: what is happening and why did the forces of the National Security Directorate target the chief of the army corps?
Yakubi, the commander of the Helmand KKA of ANA, also did not know about the subject of our telephone conversations. If Yakubi had been informed, Sami would not have been able to escape.
We relayed the decision to the head of the KKA Special Forces, Salahuddin Khan, and Khalid Amiri, a brave three-star young general. Due to lack of time, we asked them to defend the base and military equipment.
We made four emergency decisions:
- It was with great difficulty that we persuaded most of the soldiers, who had children and grandchildren, to go to Kabul when the helicopter arrived. We said goodbye to each other with tears in our eyes.
- We came to the conclusion that it is necessary to destroy all information - documents and files for the safety of military personnel.
- Khalid Amiri's team and the KKA commander must also leave the base to prevent further casualties.
- We instructed the army and national security personnel whose homes were in the southwest to decide for themselves whether to go to Kabul or go home in civilian clothes. I and a group of 37 National Security Special Forces under the leadership of Hazrat Mohammadi decided to return to the Helmand National Security Directorate to fight to the last bullet.
We made these decisions with great difficulty because we did not want the children of our colleagues to become orphans because of this shameful deal. Therefore, we formed a team of young unmarried guys.
A moment of the battle. Photos by Arsalan Khanzada
In 11 hours, 691 servicemen were evacuated from the Shurab camp, making 29 sorties on three UCH and C17 helicopters.
There was many military personnel in the Shurab camp, but most of them had been sent on leave a week earlier on the orders of Sami Sodot. In the end, on August 22, more soldiers remained in the camp than we expected.
Meanwhile, 7 UCH, C60, Black Hawk helicopters were at the Shurab military base before Sami Sodot's escape, and 6 of them were sent to Kabul the night before with several special forces soldiers. We have assigned a team of 17 special forces to protect the Shurab base and camp in order to prevent equipment and equipment from being looted.
While all the bases throughout the country, including the capital, fell, our national security forces fought bravely and were able to defend the camp to the last breath. Unfortunately, 17 people (Khabir, Akbar, Melod, Vasilkhon, Raiskhan, Dovud, Haroon, Zabeh, Jannatgul, Sadiq, Shukrulloh, Habibullah, Abbos, Idris, Sangar, Mute'ulloh, and Hamidullah) were martyred in clashes.
My team of 27 and I moved into the National Security Administration building and created a powerful fortification. Unfortunately, due to lack of strength, we could not resist for more than 21 hours, since we were inside the building. The enemy fired at us with RPJ, SPJ 9, 82 rockets at the positions from which we fired.
Despite the heavy blows of the enemy, our brigade fought fiercely and courageously for the honor of the sacred homeland for 21 hours amid smoke, gunpowder, and hot bullets. We defended ourselves, but we could no longer fight.
Unfortunately, as a result of the fighting, 22 of my colleagues were killed, 5 fighters were injured, including me.
We were captured, but contrary to the rules of war, we were tortured.
The Taliban, after 7 hours of fighting, when we were all seriously wounded, defeated us. I don't remember anything after that, because two bullets got stuck in my body.
I came out of a coma three days later, on August 27, and realized that I was in a military hospital at the Kabul airport. I was told that we were taken from the Taliban with the help of a British general and a Red Cross medical brigade.
Istanbul, Turkey,
Institute for Strategic Studies
