The remote, 70 mile long valley, bordered by high mountains, is a geographical stronghold and the last province in Afghanistan to hold out against the Taliban. but I fight on in the valley that's my nation's last hope': Afghanistan's vice-president Amrullah Saleh gives a brave despatch while under siege from the Taliban in his snow-capped mountain strongholdįrom Amrullah Saleh in the Panjshir Valley, AfghanistanĪmrullah Saleh, 48, is the former vice president of Afghanistan, who escaped Kabul as the Taliban advanced to join Ahmad Massoud and the National Resistance Front in the Panjshir Valley. 'What young soldiers, male, female, different cap badges, different colours, different creeds did, to save lives was really humbling,' he added.ĭetails of the UK's response to warnings of an attack come after a 'blame game' over whether the blast could have been prevented. The troops – some only 18 or 19 – are now being offered counselling to cope with what Lt Col Middleton described as the 'visceral' experience of the explosion and processing evacuees. 'So if you looked at where our forces were laid out 24 hours earlier it would have been far more exposed. 'We had, based on the intelligence beforehand, moved back to a more contained area. Lieutenant Colonel David Middleton, the Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (2 Para) said: 'We were very close to the explosion. In the days before the attack, US aircraft circling over Kabul intercepted electronic messages about a suicide bomber targeting crowds and Western troops at the airport. I am exceptionally proud of how they undertook their duties that day.' 'When the bomb went off and shots were fired – they weren't necessarily fired by the enemy – our people ran towards the sound of the gunfire. Our soldiers were running towards the explosion to provide first aid, explosive ordinance disposal support to our American brethren and to provide them with security to evacuate their wounded. 'And then very quickly the gates were open, we were bringing in injured women and children. 'We heard the bang and about three seconds later we felt the sting and that very distinctive smell of CS gas which hit us as the blast had vaporized some of the US stocks of CS,' he said. 'I imagine for some of our people, that is quite difficult to deal with.'īrigadier Martin, one of the most decorated officers in the British Army, was humbled by the response of his soldiers. There is a degree of serendipity about this, that none of our people got hurt, but I mean, we are talking by feet. I also think, ultimately, it saved lives. 'I think that undoubtedly put us in a good position. In his first interview since arriving back in the UK, Brigadier James Martin, the Commanding Officer of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said: 'We were aware there was a credible threat and we had taken steps the previous evening to create a greater standoff between where a suicide bomber might appear and our people and civilians. Moments after surviving the attack at the Abbey Gate, British soldiers were able to form a protective cordon around the US Marines and rescue injured children. British troops were saved from almost certain death in the Kabul suicide attack by an 11th-hour decision, commanders revealed last night.īased on intelligence about a threat from Isis-K fanatics, UK paratroopers were moved back a short distance which meant they avoided last week's airport blast by a matter of feet, while 13 US troops patrolling the same area were among the 182 killed.
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