Their only possessions are what they could carry.Ībdullah said his stomach still hurts from where the Taliban fighters hit him with the butt of their guns as he resisted being press-ganged. Since then, they have been sleeping under a tent in a park in a northern suburb where they spoke with AFP.
We even sold our food," Abdullah said.Īfter a 15-hour journey, Abdullah, his parents, his grandfather, and his brothers and sisters reached Kabul. They had borrowed money and pawned off their belongings. His family was escaping as well, preparing to seek safety in the capital Kabul. He laid down his gun and ran, taking an hour to get home. "One Taliban fighter was killed, another lost a leg and an arm."Ībdullah saw his chance to escape when half of the Taliban fighters in his group had been killed or wounded. "Three or four boys who were carrying weapons were hit and died when their bags exploded," Abdullah said.
The Afghan government forces fought back furiously. "I was shaking, I couldn't hold my gun," said Abdullah, his face flushed with teenage acne. 12, 2007 - Sixteen-year-old Matthew Bandy was about as normal a teenager as you could find. I still have the marks," he said.Īn hour later, he said he was given an assault rifle and pushed into action - ordered to help attack a police garrison. Why did one teenager face 90 years in jail for viewing porn Jan. The ordeal lasted three hours before his family was able to barter his release.īut as they prepared to flee, the insurgents came back for him and others. The Taliban took effective control of the country on Sunday following a lightning offensive - supported in part by press-ganging youths like Abdullah to be used as cannon fodder.Ībdullah said the terror group strapped a 20-kilogramme (44-pound) bag of RPGs onto his back, shoved a box of ammunition into each of his hands and forced him to march.