Taken to US 11 years ago, Ayesha yet to return home

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Ayesha, a minor girl, who was critically injured in an airstrike by American forces in eastern Kunar province and was then taken to the US for treatment 11 years ago is yet to reunite with her surviving family members.

On September 7, 2013, foreign forces carried out an airstrike on a civilian car in Gambir area of Watapur district, in 14 people including women and children were killed and a 4-year-old Ayesha was injured.

Ayesha’s parents and her little sister were killed and she lost her one hand, nose and two eyes in the attack.

Abdul Malik, Ayesha’s uncle, told Pajhwok Afghan News when the American forces came to know that a child had been injured in the attack, they went to the house and talked about her treatment in America.

Abdul Malik was agreed with them and he went to America with her as a family member, spent a year there and when Ayesha’s treatment was over then he returned to Kunar.

According to him, three months later, the American forces took her back to the US in the name of treatment, but now there is no information if she is dead or alive.

In the first two years, he was in contact with Ayesha, but it has been eight years he has no information about her, Malik added.

Abdul Rahman, Ayesha’s maternal uncle, explained an Afghan woman Ghutai had been taking care of her, but she did not know about her condition now.

“Look at the cruelty of the Americans who killed my family and took my little child with them in the name of treatment”.

Abdul Rahman added he had repeatedly asked the authorities of the previous and current government, but his calls fell on deaf ears.

“It is our family’s wish that Ayesha should return to her homeland, her grandma and uncles have mental illness due to being very depressed now, we do not know where she is”.

Nine members of a family were killed in that attack and the American forces did not show mercy on their children and women and killed them en masse in an air attack, Haji Nazar Mohammad Atiq, tribal elder and three residents said.

“11 years ago, 15 members of our family, including children and women, were on their way to Gambir from Asadabad city in a vehicle, when the American forces attacked them from the air, 14 people were killed, only Ayesha was mortally wounded and survived”.

Atiq said he will never forgive the war crimes of the American forces and the current government and international human rights organizations should work together to return the girl to her family.

Information and Culture Department Maulvi Najibullah Hanif told Pajhwok they were aware of the air strike and Ayesha's case at that time, and they were trying to share it with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign forces carried out such attacks in many areas of the province and killed and injured dozens of innocent people.

hz/ma