Afghan war up close for Paarlite
2009-08-06
Arnold Kirkby
A PAARLITE working as agricultural contractor in war-ravaged Afghanistan had a narrow escape last week when a bakkie in a two vehicle convoy detonated what appears to be a roadside bomb, about 30 metres ahead of his vehicle. Chris Alexander, 57, who is based at Lashkar Gah in Helmand, a province in the south of the country, was travelling with a colleague, two drivers and a security guard when the incident happened. They were going to a project on a government farm about 6 km from the town when the incident took place last Tuesday morning. Tensions have been running high in the country for more than a month with the American forces and their allies taking the war to the Taliban in the run-up to proposed elections later this month. Chris explained what happened on a routine journey to inspect the work done at the farm: “We had turned off the main tar road and were about 400m along a narrow gravel road when the incident happened. “I was sitting in the back of our bakkie, looking out the window when there was a massive explosion which rocked our vehicle. As I looked ahead the bakkie in front of us almost disappeared in a cloud of smoke and dust. “Everything happened very quickly, but it felt like a long time. Our driver braked and started reversing back on the narrow strip which has a canal on one side and soft, freshly ploughed fields on the other. “The driver from the lead vehicle came running towards our vehicle with blood on his head and threw himself in next to me in the back seat of our armour-plated double cab. “We had to reverse to an old guard post which we had just passed and when we got there the security guard, who was also travelling in the lead vehicle, came staggering towards us – he had broken his ankle. “He got in and we beat a hasty retreat the way we came, just in case there was a second explosive device planted ready to be detonated by somebody. “Security guards from the farm also came running, but we got back on the tar road and headed towards town. “While this was all happening, we radioed for assistance and got in contact with a private security company which operates in the area. “We rushed our Afghani colleagues to hospital,” said a shaken Chris He has been in Afghanistan for two years and two months and returned there at the end of June after spending time with his family in Paarl. He said that the evacuation of foreigners from the area was being considered.
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