Following their service in two Afghan special forces units established, trained, and funded by the British, the Taliban have executed or tortured dozens of soldiers.
“I feel betrayed by the British.”
Shaheen, accompanied by his two siblings, formerly belonged to an elite Afghan special forces unit and engaged in protracted combat alongside British commandos.
In August 2021, however, during the pandemonium that followed the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, so many of his comrades were abandoned. His sibling Qahraman was the target of an assassination plot.
He states, “We were like one family.” “I cannot bear to hear about my colleagues hiding now in Afghanistan, their lives in danger.”
Dozens of soldiers who served in two British-established, British-funded, and trained special forces units in Afghanistan have reportedly been murdered or tormented by the Taliban.
In collaboration with Lighthouse Reports and The Independent, dozens of incidents in which the Taliban physically assaulted and targeted former British commandos who had previously put their lives at risk.
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His two brothers joined British-founded Afghan special forces outfit Commando Force 333 (CF333) in 2002, Shaheen stated.
This narrative changes his and his brother’s names for family safety.
Amid the mid-2000s, nascent Taliban strongholds persisted throughout Afghanistan, notwithstanding the regime’s overthrow by a coalition of international forces comprising the United States and the United Kingdom.
It can be disclosed for the first time that CF333 and colleague unit ATF444 collaborated with the British on missions to combat the remaining Taliban under the banner of the Triples. In exchange for their services, the British government paid CF333 and ATF444 salaries.
According to him, Shaheen and his brothers established their residence in the camp where British commandos and they were stationed.
They participated in hazardous special operations throughout Afghanistan, devoting themselves to their country’s interests. They took great pride in their work.
“Although they were younger than me, my brothers and I were so close that we were friends,” Shaheen asserts.
As the Taliban overthrew Kabul, anarchy ensued.
As soon as the United States and the United Kingdom announced their withdrawal from Afghanistan after twenty years, Taliban fighters surged across the country and approached the gates of Kabul.
“I had no idea what to do,” says Shaheen. “Had I returned home, I would have been an ideal target for the Taliban,” I explained.
“So for two days, I was wandering in the streets of Kabul, not knowing when I would be killed.”
Infiltrating the airport, the last Taliban-held part of the city, Shaheen, Qahraman, and their comrades succeeded. Their other sibling had successfully escaped Afghanistan through an alternative border crossing.
Shaheen states, “The conditions at the airport were appalling.” “I observed children and women being stampeded upon.” The incident, in which individuals were struck with batons, was abhorrent.”
His sibling was denied a flight out of Afghanistan, whereas Shaheen was granted one.
Quahraman was pursued by Taliban forces.
Shaheen claims that while Qahraman was at their sister’s residence, “he was observed and followed” after he exited the airport.
The duration of his stay at home was ten days. When he did so at last, a group of individuals shot him.
When questioned if the British killed his brother, Shaheen says, “He worked hard for them. “Upon being expelled from the airport, he emerged as a target.”
Shaheen, who lives in Birmingham with his wife and children, says he’s a shell of himself.
“I have lost everything,” he declares.
“I am not even 10% of what I once was.” “Notwithstanding my current location, I possess nothing worthy of being proud of.”
“Unjust” justification for Triples’ entry into the UK
Notwithstanding their close proximity to British forces, the majority of the Triples were not evacuated in August 2021 and have since been denied entry into the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme (ARAP), the United Kingdom’s initiative to relocate Afghans who collaborated with the British.
The majority have been informed that this is due to the fact that they did not “operate in close collaboration with, alongside, or in close support of… a UK government department,” notwithstanding persuasive evidence to the contrary.
A British soldier who served with the Triples for five years called the relationship “entirely symbiotic.”
“We were fully integrated,” stated the veteran. “Members of one unit.” “The British and you could not have worked more harmoniously together than they did.”
Charlie Herbert, a former major general in the British Army who served in Afghanistan, stated that it is “both dishonest and unjust” to deny entry to the Triples into the United Kingdom on the grounds that they did not collaborate, support, or operate alongside the British armed forces.
He additionally stated: “I can think of no other Afghan security forces who were more closely aligned to the UK than 333 and 444, nor who more loyally or bravely supported our military objectives.
Former CF333s unitmate: “They valiantly sacrificed their lives fighting alongside us and for us.” They acted as the national force on behalf of the United Kingdom government. That is perfectly in line with the strategic interests of the United Kingdom.”
According to discussions with current and former sources from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the UK Special Forces department “obstructed” the acceptance of the Triples under ARAP.
Uncertain as to the reason why.
