Afghan policeman's bear hug stops suicide bomber from claiming more lives
After the suicide bomber's arrival, Lieutenant Pacha was seen challenging and then bear hugging the attacker. Photo: Twitter
(Web Desk) – Daring to act against a suspected suicide bomber, Lt. Sayed Basam Pacha of Afghan Police, laid down his life in the line of duty in Kabul on Thursday afternoon.
While the 25-year-old protected lives of many present in the hall he was guarding, no one will ever know what flashed through his mind as he advanced to bear hug the suspect who later detonated the explosive vest hidden under his coat.
According to The New York Times, Lieutenant Pacha, who at the time of the incident was commanding a police company guarding a hall full of civilians including dignitaries, came face to face with a man he suspected of being a suicide bomber.
As the heavily muscled, Lieutenant Pacha shouted at the suspect to hault, the man started running. The officer stopped him, throwing his arms around him in a bear hug.
Moments later, the bomber detonated the explosives resulting in an attack that claimed fourteen lives.
“He’s a hero, he saved many lives,” said Basir Mujahed, a police spokesman.
“All seven of those policemen who lost their lives are heroes but especially him. Just think if that suicide attacker got past the gate, what would have happened — you cannot even imagine.”
“My son sacrificed himself to save other people,” said Gen. Syed Nizam Agha, the father of the courageous young man, who is also a police commander.
Continuing with much pride but tears in his eyes, General Agha in a conversation with The New York Times told that his son had two bachelor degrees, one in political science and another one at the police academy.
“He studied five years in Turkey. He came back from Turkey a year and a half ago. He was 25 years old and he was single. He has three brothers and one sister. He and I are the only police in our family. He was a very sporty guy.”
Security forces at the scene of a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday. Photo: AP
Overcome with emotion, the general apologised and said he could not keep talking any longer. He had one last thing to say though.
“I lost my bodyguard in this incident as well.”
The general had assigned the bodyguard to assist his son at the event, which many high-profile political figures were attending.
“He was my bodyguard for the last 15 years, he was like my son,” General Agha said.
Currently posted as commander of the Second Company in Police District 4 of Kabul where the attack took place, Lieutenant Pacha within a year and a half of being in Kabul had already received a commendation from his superiors.
“He was always worried about victims, but he never thought that one day he would get killed,” said Lieutenant Pacha’s friend, Sayed Najib Asil.
“He wanted to make changes here, he had an opportunity to leave and go live abroad, but he rejected it,” Asil said.
“He really hated corruption, and felt bad when people assumed that all policemen are corrupt.”
“He had very big dreams for himself. He wanted to be a general like his father, and maybe one day a high ministry official,” added Asil. He also said that Lieutenant Pacha was not someone who would have faced death fatalistically.
“I wasn’t surprised when I heard he had hugged the suicide attacker. He was a very brave guy.”
#AFGHANISTAN#IslamicState s Khorasan Province Claims Responsibility For Suicide Bombing In #Kabul. #TerrorMonitor pic.twitter.com/OPBKQzfkNg
— Terrormonitor.org (@Terror_Monitor) November 16, 2017
The hall where the attack took place was booked for a political meeting by supporters of Atta Muhammad Noor, the governor of the northern Balkh Province. Lieutenant Pacha had gone into the hall to drink tea with some of the guests, but then said he wanted to return to the gate as people started to leave, said a witness.
According to the witness, the owner of the hall told Lieutenant Pacha to finish his tea, but he said he had to check on his men. The suicide bomber arrived following the return of Lietenant Pacha, after which the commander was seen challenging and then bear hugging the attacker.
The Islamic State in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack naming it the latest in a series of suicide attacks by the group in Kabul lately.
