Wasil Ahmad

Wasil Ahmad ( – February 2016) was an Afghan child soldier, best known for commanding a police unit and his subsequent killing by the Taliban when he was eleven years old. His uncle Samad, trained him "in the use of AK-47 and PK machine guns, rockets and mortars as well as satellite phones and VHF radios." Ahmad's father had previously been killed fighting the Taliban, and his son later said that seeking revenge for his father's death was his main motivation in going to war. Ahmad's uncle was the Afghan Local Police commander in Khas Uruzgan District, Uruzgan province. He had previously been a Taliban commander, but had changed sides in 2012, and was now fighting for the Afghan government. In summer 2015, Khas Uruzgan- his area of control- was besieged by the Taliban, and Samad was injured. Ahmad subsequently took command of his uncle's unit.

Siege

At the height of the Dan Sango to Tarin Kowt. he was shot twice The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, however, said that, since he had been supplied with a gun and a police uniform, this was in breach of anti-child-soldiering laws. The commission also suggested that the police had themselves endangered Ahmad's life by lauding him as a hero. They had garlanded him 'with plastic flowers' and even held a program at Police headquarters "where his bravery and courage were talked about by officials." The government Ministry of Interior Affairs also denied that child soldiers were used by government forces. Conversely, the charity Child Soldiers International has also claimed that both sides used them.