Logo

Striking new photos show Taliban fighters and former Afghan soldiers who once fought against each other now being treated for war wounds side by side at the same rehab center in Kabul.

Taliban fighter Abdul Qayum of Helmand province is shown learning to walk with a prosthetic leg at the Red Cross hospital — next to Khair Mohammad, a former soldier from the Afghan army who lost both his lower limbs in a mine blast, according to Reuters.

Nearby, former Taliban fighter Mohammad Ishaq, who lost his left leg to a bullet wound in combat,  underwent physical therapy alongside one of the soldiers he defeated.

“For years we fought against the infidels and we defeated them and I was injured,” said Ishaq.

At the clinic — one of the few that supplies prosthetic limbs in the area — an instructor helped Ishaq get an artificial leg fitted to replace the one he lost.

He then practiced walking across a long exercise hall as medical staff and patients from both sides of the war watched.


  Former Taliban fighter Mohammad Ishaq, who lost his left leg to a bullet wound in combat, underwent physical therapy alongside one of the soldiers he defeated. Jorge Silva/REUTERS Former Taliban fighter Mohammad Ishaq, who lost his left leg to a bullet wound in combat, underwent physical therapy alongside one of the soldiers he defeated. Jorge Silva/REUTERS

  Taliban fighter Abdul Qayum of Helmand province is shown learning to walk with a prosthetic leg at the Red Cross hospital next to an Afghan soldier. Jorge Silva/REUTERS Taliban fighter Abdul Qayum of Helmand province is shown learning to walk with a prosthetic leg at the Red Cross hospital next to an Afghan soldier. Jorge Silva/REUTERS

“They help all people in need; whatever the people need, they provide,” Ishaq said of the hospital.

Ishaq spent eight years fighting in Helmand, where thousands of civilians and soldiers were killed and injured before the Taliban seized Kabul during the US troop withdrawal in August.

Previously, war-wounded members of the Taliban came to the center largely in secret, said Alberto Cairo, an Italian physiotherapist who leads the orthopedic program for the International Committee of the Red Cross.


  Taliban fighter Besmillahe Rahmane, whose leg was paralyzed after a gunshot, is checked out at the hospital. Jorge Silva/REUTERS Taliban fighter Besmillahe Rahmane, whose leg was paralyzed after a gunshot, is checked out at the hospital. Jorge Silva/REUTERS

  Khair Mohammad (right) is a former soldier from the Afghan army who lost both his lower limbs in a mine blast. Jorge Silva/REUTERS Khair Mohammad (right) is a former soldier from the Afghan army who lost both his lower limbs in a mine blast. Jorge Silva/REUTERS

“There were Taliban coming here, but very few and secretly. Now they come very openly, so we have many, every day 10 to 15, they come for different reasons,” he said. “We help them like we help everybody.”

Mohammad Tawfiq, a former Afghan soldier from Panjshir province, was also treated at the center after a Taliban ambush left him paralyzed from the waist down.

“The fight is over for me, my fight is over,” he said. “I want to live in a peaceful environment. I can talk to anyone now.”


  War-wounded members of the Taliban used to come to the Red Cross hospital in secret. Jorge Silva/REUTERS War-wounded members of the Taliban used to come to the Red Cross hospital in secret. Jorge Silva/REUTERS

  Former Afghan soldier Mohammad Tawfiq was left paralyzed from the waist down after a Taliban ambush. Jorge Silva/REUTERS Former Afghan soldier Mohammad Tawfiq was left paralyzed from the waist down after a Taliban ambush. Jorge Silva/REUTERS
Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy