Taliban Uprising | National Geographic

hundreds of Taliban fighters gather on a
dusty desert road exhausted by the
relentless fighting they have decided to
negotiate a truce with the Northern
Alliance Arnhem Stout is acting on a
tip-off we had got the information
through an Afghan contact that very
morning and we went there early to see
what would happen
General Abdul Rashid Dostum the key
commander in the Northern Alliance takes
charge of the negotiations
doston makes the Taliban leaders an
offer if they give up their weapons he
will allow the Afghan Nationals to
return to their homes
the foreign fighters will be handed over
to doston himself he has his own plans
for them the Taliban leaders agree but
don’t tell their own men what is going
on
Jostens men disarm the fighters and
release the Afghans as promised
then the foreigners are told to climb
into a fleet of trucks confused about
what’s going on they do as they’re asked
but try to hide grenades and guns in
their clothing they were not very
thoroughly searched Dostum orders that
the foreigners be taken to his personal
headquarters
a nearby fortress called Cali Jangi or
house of war
hello Jiang here to cut out the
beginning Cali jeonggi is a 19th century
castle three-quarters of a kilometer
round it has massive walls 20 meters
thick and 30 meters high inside there
are two enclosed compounds separated by
a dividing wall to the north is doston
strategic headquarters in the southern
side his armory the main entrance to the
fort is on the eastern side by Twilight
the convoy containing around 300 Taliban
fighters arrives
they are worried inside the fortress
they are at the mercy of the Northern
Alliance they complain to TV journalists
then our Ogun here would feel as like
business the Northern Alliance soldiers
unload the fighters start to find the
concealed weapons the mood on both sides
is turning ugly can you tell us why did
you decide to surrender well I’m not
surrendered
50 metres away anger ripples through the
jihadists ranks one of the fighters
takes matters into his own hands he
takes the last action of his life and
pulls the pin on a grenade
the blast is captured on camera the
fighter kills one of Dustin’s senior
commanders as well as himself the
Northern Alliance are furious