Survivor Tells of Medics' Last Moments

Gunshots, pleadings, death
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 12, 2010 7:48 AM CDT
Survivor Tells of Medics' Last Moments
From top left, Glen D. Lapp, Tom Little, Dan Terry, Thomas Grams, Cheryl Beckett, Brian Carderelli, Karen Woo, Daniela Beyer, Mahram Ali, and Jawed.   ((AP Photo) NO SALES)

The first sign of danger was the crackle of gunfire over their heads. Ten gunmen, their faces covered, rushed toward terrified humanitarian workers and began shouting "Satellite! Satellite!" —a demand to surrender their phones. Moments later, 10 of them lay dead, including two women hiding in the back seat of a car the attackers hit with a grenade, according to an Afghan official familiar with the account the sole survivor, a 24-year-old Afghan driver, gave police.

It is the first detailed narrative of the slaying of six Americans, two Afghans, one German, and a Brit on Aug. 5 in remote northern Afghanistan. They were ambushed and shot after journeying about 100 miles through the Hindu Kush mountains, giving eye and other medical care to impoverished villagers. The survivor told investigators he believes the lead gunman was Pakistani because he yelled "Jadee! Jadee!" a word meaning "hurry up" more commonly used in Pakistan and India than Afghanistan. Click here for more on the survivor's trek through the forest with the gunmen. (More Afghanistan stories.)

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