Tooryalai Lal Mohammad was out getting bread for his family when a suicide truck bomb attack rocked the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday night, killing at least four people and wounding more than 100.
The 25-year-old farmer who lives near the site of the attack witnessed as the blast shattered glass and damaged buildings in an area on the eastern outskirts of the city.
The blast targeted the main gate of Green Village, a heavily fortified compound that houses foreign workers and NGOs on the eastern outskirts of Kabul city. Until recently, some UN staff had lived and worked at Green Village, which is heavily protected by cement blast walls.
It was large enough to be heard miles away in central Kabul, initially causing confusion about the exact location of the attack.
Once the dust settled Mr Mohammad's family started the grim task of calling everyone in the area to make sure he was safe.
“We called him and we were worried. He did not answer his phone,” his brother Baryalai said.
Mr Mohammad was knocked out by the blast. Other residents found him lying on the floor unconscious and took him to the Wazir Akbar Khan public hospital in Kabul.
The hospital, located several miles away from the site of the blast, took in most of the casualties from the attack.
The full extent of Mr Mohammad’s injuries was unclear as of Tuesday night. His doctor listed his wounds as Mr Mohammad’s chest rose and fell unevenly.
He has sustained injuries to his legs, arms, chest and head. He was temporarily in a coma and needed a respirator to help him breath. The hospital does not have a portable x-ray machine and doctors were not able to confirm suspected fractures.
Over the beeping of the monitors, Mr Mohammad whispered: “I am getting better.”
Mr Mohammad’s family waited in the hallway as he lay in the ICU. His uncle, Noorallen, explained that their home is right next to the Green Village.
“If there is real peace we will be happy. Peace would be great.” Noorallen said, adding that he hopes the Green Village would be moved to the desert so that attacks on the compound would no longer pose a risk to the local population living nearby.
Monday’s explosion was the first major attack of 2019 and comes as diplomats ramp up efforts to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan, which by some estimates was the world's deadliest conflict in 2018.
The Taliban on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the blast. The militant group vowed to carry out more attacks in the city in direct response to the recent appointment of former spymaster and anti-Taliban veteran Amrullah Saleh as Interior Minister.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told journalists on WhatsApp that the attack killed many foreigners.
The identities of those killed have not yet been confirmed. However, the Indian government confirmed that one of their nationals was amongst those killed.
Despite the large presence of foreigners in the targeted area, there is also a large population of locals living nearby. Afghan families were those most affected by Monday’s blast.
Green Village has been attacked numerous times in the past, and residents in the area claim that every family has had at least one member wounded as a result of repeated attempts to attack the compound.
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Read more:
Taliban cancel Afghanistan peace talks with the United States
Taliban blames US and Afghan forces for most civilian casualties in 2018
Iran says they held Taliban talks as Afghan peace push continues
Afghans brace for an even deadlier 2019 as hope for peace fades
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“The ground shook, it was loud, glass flew across the house,” said Sardar Gul, who lives near the site of the explosion. Mr Gul, wrapped in a heavy warm shawl, his voice cracking, said he did not know what to do when he first heard the blast. He said his family was sitting for dinner when the explosion struck. His wife was wounded in the attack. He tried to soothe his seven children as they screamed and cried.
On Tuesday, workers could be seen cleaning the site of the attack. Some shops had reopened, despite having their windows blown out. Efforts to repair the area were underway.
Some of the residents of the neighbourhood were walking with bandages on their arms and legs.
Life, it seems, went on as usual.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km