Taliban assassinate 10-year-old Afghan child soldier who led militia group against them

QUICK PILL

• Wasil Ahmad was a 10-year-old former child soldier who fought against Taliban in Uruzgan province.

• He was celebrated as a hero by the provincial police and locals.

• He was killed by the Taliban on Monday while on his way to school. His death has evoked huge outcry against use of child soldiers

Just last week, the world was rejoicing the story of a little boy from Afghanistan - a great football fan - who may now have the pleasure of meeting his idol, Lionel Messi.

Here's a story of another little Afghan boy, Wasil Ahmad, all of ten years old, who was feared so much by the Taliban that they assassinated him, early Monday morning.

The last few months have seen an increased assault on the part of the Taliban against Afghan forces. The southern regions of the country remain to be the worst hit. Social media accounts draw a grim picture of Wasil's childhood in a conflict zone, in a country that is all too familiar with the use of child soldiers in war.

Javed Faisal, deputy spokesperson to the Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, shared Wasil's story on his Facebook page. "Their house was under siege by Taliban for more than three months. His uncle lost almost all of his people and Wasil had to take an AK-47 to stand alongside his uncle and protect his siblings from the Taliban," he narrated.

Wasil Ahmad lived with his family in Tirinkot, the capital city of Uruzgan province, in southern Afghanistan. He had been recently enrolled in a school in the fourth grade, after spending most of his little life in the local militia group that fought against Taliban.

Wasil's uncle, Mullah Abdul Samad, used to be a Taliban commander, the NY Times reported. He defected to the Afghan government and was made the commander of the local police in the region. The family reportedly fought in several combats against the Taliban. Wasil's father and brothers were also assassinated by the Taliban.

"Wasil was martyred by Taliban on his way home from school in Uruzgan yesterday. He wasn't armed but, had a school bag behind him thinking of a better future for himself and his country," Faisal writes.

Wasil's assassination evoked condemnation of not just the Taliban, but also towards the Afghan government for failing to protect children in the time of war. The provincial police chief had recently recognised Wasil as a hero for his fight against Taliban. Photos of him in uniform and carrying weapons were shared on social media. He was celebrated for his bravery, despite being a victim of a system that supported children in combat.

Wasil Ahmad, a ten years old boy who was fighting against Taliban in #Urozgan province of Afghanistan was killed. pic.twitter.com/uSKHR6XXQD

- zakaria hassani (@zakariahassani4) February 1, 2016

10yo Wasil Ahmadshot in the head twice, by Taliban for leading military's defence last year. RIP you fearless angel pic.twitter.com/9Wv9DXzScw

- infusion (@lidoocaine) February 3, 2016

"Wasil Ahmad is the victim not only of the Taliban but of the terrible practice of recruiting children into the militias, ALP, and other armed forces," points out Patti Gossman from the Human Rights Watch (HRW).

"Using children in this way violates both Afghan law and international law, yet too many children continue to be misused in this way. There is no excuse for placing children in direct harm by giving them weapons and sending them to fight," she adds condemning not just the death of the young Afghan boy, but also the government's failure to protect children.

The HRW world report emphasised this, "On February 2, Ashraf Ghani signed into law a decree criminalising recruitment by Afghan security forces of soldiers less than 18 years old. However, Afghan Local Police (ALP) and pro-government militias in some provinces continued to recruit children. The Taliban recruited boys as young as 14 to fight and carry out suicide bombings."

However, Faisal defended Wasil's family in his post, "It wasn't a passion or love that made him/his family raise weapons against these barbaric terrorists but, to protect his mom, sister, brother and other siblings from the enemies. Anyone would have done that the sake of their own lives,".

But the fact that young children are forced into a situation where they have to defend and protect themselves using armed violence, is a testimony to the fact that much remains to be done towards child rights in Afghanistan.