Missing soldier found

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After 33 years a Soviet army soldier injured in the ill fated Russian - Afghanistan war has been found alive.

Missing soldier found

Bakhredtin Khakimov was reportedly injured during 1980. He was then decalred MIA. Taken in by locals he was cared for and has been found alive and living in the Shindand district of Herat Province in the west of the country.

Now a herbal healer he goes by the name of Sheikh Abdullah and converted to Islam in 1993. It’s also said he was married but is now a widow and childless.

The non-profit organisation Warriors-Internationalists Affairs Committee tracked down the soldier. It’s been looking for MIA soldiers in Afghanistan and after showing photos to Sheikh he said he recognised two others also living in the area.

He couldn’t remember much Russian but does still speak Uzbec, his language, and is keen to meet relatives again.

A report from CNN is suggesting that local reports have a different story saying Sheikh stole a gun and gave it to Mujahedeen Islamic guerrillas.

More details can be found about this really interesting story on CNN.

I love these stories and it just goes to show how much a life can change for a person. His life before the war must have been massively different and now semi-nomadic he may not fit into the modern world very well. I am imagining he will chose to stay.

There must be 1000s of people over the world living different lives from situations like this.

Thanks for reading and please leave any thoughts or comments below.