Who was Noor Ahmad Amiri? English teacher, 26, dies in Kabul airport crossfire
After being wounded in gunfire at Kabul airport, an English instructor who worked with British Council workers at Afghanistan's equivalent of Sandhurst Military Academy, died in hospital, news outlets reported on Thursday, August 26.
On August 26, Kabul saw its first terrorist incident, allegedly orchestrated by ISIS-K. Two bombs detonated near Hamid Karzai International Airport's Abbey Gate and the Baron Hotel, followed by gunfire. Over 70 individuals were murdered as a result, including 12 US Marines and an army doctor.
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The Pentagon and the Taliban both verified the detonation, with the Taliban claiming to have warned the US of an impending attack. ISIS-K, an affiliate of Islamic terror group has officially claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings, and even released a photo of the alleged bomber. The president of the United States has frequently warned that US servicemen may be in danger, which is why he decided to stop evacuations on August 31 without a delay.
When turmoil broke out last week, Noor Ahmad Amiri, 26, was in line with his two brothers and their spouses to enter the airport. After more than a week in the hospital, he died on Wednesday. Amiri's Twitter bio describes him as "Working as English language master trainer at Afghanistan air-force university". Fearful colleagues at the British Council in Kabul, who say they should have been evacuated "weeks ago," have expressed their outrage at the situation, the Daily Mail reported.
The UK has refused to evacuate a group of people who worked for the British Council teaching English to civil workers. Amir Khan Daneshwar Amiri, one of Amiri's older siblings, praised his unmarried brother as a "role model of ethics and service to people." Amiri, his two brothers, and their wives had all received special immigration visas to the United States. The remainder of the family was told to go through the airport after Amiri was shot in the neck and flown to camps in the Middle East.
A fourth brother, an Afghan National Army officer and his wife were unable to get to the airport. They are still in Kabul, hiding with the mother and sister of the Amiri brothers. "It’s really dangerous for all our family. Everyone is afraid and in hiding," Amir Amiri claimed. Since Noor Amiri's killing, a female friend who worked for the British Council's scheme teaching English to Afghan state workers said she has lived in constant fear. "We served them, we did our best. I don’t know why the British Council have left us behind," the woman, who is also in her 20s, said.
According to the British Council, the Ministry of Defence manages the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, and it has no say in the eligibility decision.