STORY: Afghans still in sorrow of losing family members in U.S. bombardments
SHOOTING DATE: Dec. 24, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 30, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:03
LOCATION: ISMAEL KHIL, Afghanistan
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Afghan villagers
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SAYED AZIZ, Villager
3. various of Afghan village
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): HAJJI ESMATULLAH, Villager   
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): MAWLAWI HABIBULLAH MUJAHID, Provincial head for information and culture

STORYLINE:

Years later, Afghan villagers still vividly remember the operations and bombardments conducted by the U.S. troops during their 20-year presence in the war-torn country.
   
Sayed Aziz, a resident of eastern Wardak province, stays in a mud house in the ruined Ismael Khil village. 

Recalling the miserable time, he whispered with sorrow that one U.S. aerial strike had killed 10 people including eight of his brother Qari's family members more than a decade ago.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SAYED AZIZ, Villager   
"Qari's children, wife and grandchildren were killed. Qari was just a poor farmer.
It was a tragic day. Troops came, warplanes appeared and dropped bombs. A bomb hit a 16-year-old girl while she was washing cups to have tea."

Echoing Aziz, villager Hajji Esmatullah confirmed that the U.S. troops had killed Afghan civilians during their presence in the country.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): HAJJI ESMATULLAH, Villager   
"At the time I was on the street and saw the warplanes appeared and dropped bombs. The first bomb killed a villager inside his shop and the second bomb struck Qari's house and killed his family members including his 14-year-old daughter."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): MAWLAWI HABIBULLAH MUJAHID, Provincial head for information and culture
"Whatever are the human rights, it (U.S.) does not recognize. In Afghanistan, they (Americans) have trampled the human rights. U.S. and NATO are the human rights violators in the world."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ismael Khil, Afghanistan.
(XHTV)