Afghanistan Oral History
The Night Raid
When American Forces Came to Our Village
Summary
Khan Mohammad Wardak recounts the devastating night raid by U.S. Special Forces on his family compound in Wardak province in February 2013. He describes being woken by explosions, the killing of his brother and nephew who were mistaken for combatants, and the aftermath of filing complaints through Afghan government channels with no resolution. His account illuminates the human cost of counterinsurgency operations and the erosion of trust between rural communities and international forces.
Full Transcript
Hamid Fidel
Haji sahib, please tell us what happened that night in February 2013.
Khan Mohammad Wardak
It was around two in the morning. Very cold. The dogs started barking first — that's always the warning in villages. Then we heard helicopters. Before anyone could understand what was happening, the gate of our compound was blown open. My brother Ghulam — he ran to the courtyard thinking it was thieves. They shot him before he took five steps.
Hamid Fidel
Were there any warnings given before the operation?
Khan Mohammad Wardak
None. No announcement, no warning. My nephew Ahmad, he was eighteen, he came out of his room when he heard the shooting. They shot him too. He was in his sleeping clothes, holding nothing. The women and children were screaming. The soldiers came inside with their lights and their dogs. They searched every room, turned everything upside down. They found nothing because there was nothing to find. We are farmers.
Hamid Fidel
What happened after the raid?
Khan Mohammad Wardak
They left before dawn, taking two of my other nephews with them. My brother and Ahmad lay dead in the courtyard. The Americans said later it was a mistake — they had the wrong compound. A mistake. My brother had seven children. Ahmad was going to be married that spring. Their deaths were called a 'mistake' in a report somewhere, and that was the end of it.
Hamid Fidel
Did you seek any form of justice?
Khan Mohammad Wardak
I went to the district governor, the provincial governor, I even went to Kabul. Everyone expressed sympathy. Nobody did anything. The Americans offered condolence payments — as if my brother's life has a price tag. I refused. What I wanted was for someone to stand before my family and say: we did this, and it was wrong. That never happened. It never does.