Logar Province, Afghanistan - Recent

Afghanistan still bears the scars from the damaging two decades of the U.S.-led military invasion, although three years have passed since the coalition forces withdrew from the country.

After the last military transport plane took off from the Kabul International Airport on Aug 30, 2021, the longest war in U.S. history ended.

However, the trauma inflicted by this long-term conflict still haunts Afghanistan, with the families of the victims laying the blame on the U.S. and allied forces for the lack of accountability regarding the atrocities committed in the country.

The remnants of the war are still tangible in many areas, serving as a reminder of the chaos caused by the U.S.-led bombardment.

For generations, Akhtar Mohamad Ahmadi and his family have depended on farming in the village of Babus in the eastern Logar Province, but an unwarranted operation by the U.S.-led coalition forces in mid-2019 turned his world upside down.

Five of his family members were killed, while his daughter and son were severely injured and have been left badly disabled, he said.

His daughter Leeda said she was home when the U.S.-led forces bombarded their house, with the attack leaving her permanently paralyzed and continually suffering from the psychological trauma.

Ajmal Ahmadi, another member of the broken family, was evacuated to the U.S. in 2022 but said he has received little financial or mental support despite the U.S. government's pledges.

Shortly before the U.S. and allied forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan, they launched a deadly drone strike in Kabul that left 10 civilians dead, including seven children. The U.S. called the incident was a "tragic mistake," saying the strike was intended to target ISIS-K militants, but the incident was another in a series of deadly and costly failures.

Afghan experts and authorities believe the scars of the prolonged U.S. military presence in Afghanistan have left a lasting impact which has stunted the country's economic growth and destroyed its infrastructure.

Shotlist:
Logar Province, Afghanistan - Recent:
1. Various of residents, supplies;
2. Various of buildings, scars of shelling;
3. Residents talking;
4. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Akhtar Mohamad Ahmadi, villager:
"It was around 21:30 when the U.S. forces broke into our house. My family members were asleep and one of my brothers was sleeping outside the room. My other three brothers were asleep inside their rooms. They woke them up and shot all five of them killed.";
5. Various of Leeda Ahmadi, Akhtar Mohamad Ahmadi's daughter, sitting on bed
6. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Leeda Ahmadi, Akhtar Mohamad Ahmadi's daughter:
"I was feeling severe pain in my back. There was so much pain in my legs and then I noticed I had lost one of my legs and it was bleeding.";
7. Various of bombarded vehicle, ruins;
USA - Recent
8. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Ajmal Ahmadi, Akhtar Mohamad Ahmadi's family member:
"The U.S. government has done nothing to support us. We were brought to the U.S. like ordinary refugees. They haven't paid any compensation to us and we are financially struggling on our own.";
Afghanistan - Recent
9. Various of Faisal Khamosh, spokesman, Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs, talking with reporter;
10. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Faisal Khamosh, spokesman, Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs:
"Unfortunately, there is no village, province or district in Afghanistan where the Americans have not launched airstrikes or raids. There is no village where civilians were not killed.";
FILE: Kabul, Afghanistan - 2024
11. Cityscape;
12. Various of traffic, pedestrians.

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