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ZHARAY DISTRICT, Afghanistan – With the pledge Monday by an influential elder from the village of Nalgham saying he would ensure a former 13-year-old detainee’s peaceful return to the community, Zharay District officials and leaders from Combined Task Force Spartan released the boy to his village as a sign of goodwill by Afghan and coalition forces.
Haji Abdul Wali, a prominent elder in the Nalgham area of southern Zharay District, signed the official document agreeing that his council would oversee the boy’s return back home. He also pledged to keep the boy away from insurgents, who once used the area as a supply and logistics hub.
The boy, Bari Alai, and his father were detained by coalition forces after being observed by aerial reconnaissance assets digging a hole in the road near the village of Nalgham, a historic hotbed of homemade explosive activity. Additionally, when coalition forces arrived on scene, they found components nearby for an improvised explosive device, and recognized the father and son from a previous small-arms engagement earlier in the week.
During Monday’s release ceremony, Niaz Sarhadi, the Zharay District governor, and Col. Patrick Frank, commander, CTF Spartan, warned of the consequences of firing on soldiers again, saying the boy could go to prison or even be killed in a firefight.
While they stressed that the father was probably the instigator of the IED event, both Gov. Sarhadi and Col. Frank advised the boy to stay away from the enemy.
An interpreter at the ceremony read an oath to the boy, who then inked his thumb and placed a thumbprint on the signature block, a traditional Afghan method used in place of signing a document. The document was then signed by Haji Abdul Wali and Gov. Sarhadi, recognizing the boy’s return to his community.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2011 05:52 |
| Story ID: | 75962 |
| Location: | ZHARAY DISTRICT, AF |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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