Afghan Interpreter Shot and Killed in Washington for Aiding US Forces Against Taliban

Before fleeing to America at the age of 31 to provide a better life for his wife and four children, Nasrat Ahmad Yar had spent the most of his adult life serving with the American troops in Afghanistan.

He was able to transfer money to relatives and friends in Afghanistan by finding employment as a ride-sharing driver. In the Washington suburb where many Afghans who left their nation now reside, he enjoyed playing volleyball with pals. He had a strong serve and stood at 6 feet 5 inches.

He went out driving on Monday night because he was nervous about paying his rent, and was shot and died in Washington. Although no suspects have been detained, security footage shows four youths or young men rushing away as well as the sound of a single gunshot. A $25,000 reward has been offered by the police for information that results in an arrest.

He was quite giving. He was quite kind. His lifelong friend and fellow Afghan immigrant Rahim Amini remarked, “He was constantly trying to serve the people. Ahmad Yar, he said, constantly reprimanded him to “Don’t forget the people left behind.”

Ahmed Yar’s compassion also impressed Jeramie Malone, an American who met him via her volunteer work with a veteran-founded group that rescues former Afghan interpreters.

He was “just really, really kind” and “always wanted to be giving more than he was receiving.” Malone said that in America, “all he wanted was a chance.”

According to Amini, Ahmad Yar worked with the American troops for approximately ten years as an interpreter and in other capacities because he wanted to assist the Afghan future generation live better lives.

Since 2009, the United States has offered Special Immigrant Visas to Afghans who cooperated closely with the American administration to immigrate to the country; but, according to Amini, his buddy preferred to remain in Afghanistan, where he felt needed, rather than immediately apply.

Ahmad Yar had reportedly said, “I have folks here I need to help. I can go to America when I feel that they don’t need my help.

The Taliban then assumed control of Afghanistan when the United States withdrew in August 2021.

Ahmad Yar’s cousin Mohammad Ahmadi, who had previously served in the American military, was already in the country. On the phone, the two discussed ways to evacuate Ahmad Yar’s family from Afghanistan. According to Ahmadi, his cousin was concerned that the Taliban troops he could see in the streets of Kabul would learn that he had been an interpreter for the American forces.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to get killed in front of my wife and kids,'” Ahmadi said. Ahmad Yar traveled to northern Afghanistan in an attempt to enter Uzbekistan after he was unable to leave the packed Kabul airport. When that failed, he and his family traveled to Mazar-e-Sharif in the northwest where they were able to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates and finally make their way to America.

Even while he was hiding out in Mazar-e-Sharif, Nasrat made an effort to help other Afghans who had also come to flee the Taliban by welcoming them upon their arrival, inviting their families to stay with him, and feeding them while everyone waited for flights out, according to Malone.

Nasrat was quite different, she said, since despite his requiring assistance, he was always assisting me.

He requested writing materials for the kids as they waited at the temporary transit camp in the United Arab Emirates so he could teach them English before they arrived in the United States, according to Malone. For him, it was very vital that his children have an education and have access to chances that they would not have otherwise had in Afghanistan.

His oldest kid, a girl, is now 13 years old, and his other children, boys aged 11, 8, and 15 months, are all males.

Amini said that after his buddy was robbed in Pennsylvania, the family moved to Alexandria, which is in northern Virginia and is close to Washington. Ahmad Yar, according to Amini, said he went to the United States “to be safe and unfortunately I’m not safe here.”

They both ended up working as ride-share drivers in northern Virginia, where they were just two miles apart. They engaged in daylong WhatsApp group text chats, much like many Afghans living there. They also participated in a weekly volleyball match. No one could stop Ahmad Yar’s serve since he was so skilled, according to Amini.

Amini said that after their conversation on Monday night, he was abruptly awakened by a different Afghan acquaintance who had somehow learned about Ahmad Yar’s death.

Amini started hastily dialing his buddy while still in shock. But when someone did pick up the phone, it was the cops: “The police officer responded, ‘I’m sorry. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us.

On Saturday, Ahmad Yar will be put to rest. According to Ahmadi, the cousin of Ahmad Yar, his wife is still in shock. However, she said that in coming to America, both she and her husband had the same objective of giving their kids a better future.

I share the same objective for them, she said to Ahmadi. They may attend classes. They may enroll in college, get an education, and develop into morally upright members of society.