‘Real Hurt Locker’ as soldier disarms bomber
AFGHANISTAN
AN AFGHAN soldier clad in a special protective suit summoned the courage to approach a man lying on the ground wearing an explosive-packed vest.
The suicide attacker was caught in Jalalabad on Sunday by the Afghan National Army, but the man’s weapon continued to pose great risk to his captors.
Soldiers hog-tied the bomber to prevent him from detonating the device, but someone had to get close to the would-be suicide attacker to disable it entirely.
A soldier was sent in wearing a special protective suit, although his hands were exposed to allow him the dexterity to perform the dangerous act.
The brave move was captured by a Reuters photographer and the images quickly circulated around the world, including in Britain’s Daily Mail which dubbed the scene ‘the real Hurt Locker’, in reference to the Hollywood movie about a bomb disposal soldier.
After disabling the device, the man, still tied, was driven away on the back of a flat deck truck.
The capture of this would-be attacker comes as the Afghan Government struggles to grip to power with US-led coalition forces withdrawing from the country.
Last week, the Taliban conducted a brazen attack on the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul.
Four gunmen drove a SUV carrying four fighters into a highly secured area by the gates of the palace. They then battled Afghan security forces for about an hour before being killed.
A second vehicle involved in the attack blew up at a checkpoint on the way into the area.
Attacks such as these demonstrate the need for the government to get the Taliban back to the negotiating table.
The Taliban have indicated they were willing to open peace talks with the United States and the Afghanistan Government, but at the same time have not renounced violence and attacks throughout Afghanistan.