Former Albanian Army: How the Taliban injured me and killed Commander Feti Vogli

Albania also had a life loss of Captain Feti Vogli. This murder took place in a province of Afghanistan on February 20, 2012, speaks for the first time in a television interview of the survivor, former military man Alexander Peci, who already lives and works in the US.

Top Channel: How do you remember your participation in missions with Albanian military troops in Afghanistan?

Alexander Peci: I've participated in two missions in Afghanistan. In 2012 with Eagle 4 and 2014 with Eagle 8 being the last special force mission there. In 2012, there was also the fatal case of the loss of Commander Feti Voglit. It has been an honor and I am very privileged to have served in Afghanistan for Albania, for a small NATO country. I'm proud and I want to thank all those guys who are participating in peacekeeping missions.

Top Channel: During your time with special troops known as “Beret Vishnu”, what tasks have you accomplished?

Alexander Peci: We've had various tasks, such as patrols, checks on various roads in Afghanistan, patrols in the city, as well as at the Afghanistan-Pakisan customs station. We also served at a police station about a mile from this customs station.

Top Channel: Can you tell us the moment you were wounded and Captain Fetty Vogli lost his life in Afghanistan?

Alexander Peci: It was February 20th, and that day it was the inauguration of a school that had been closed for years and years. We were charged with a lady who had come from America to see the investments of this school as well as the hospitals and health centres.

Before we went to that school, we also opened a health center. Then we went to school. We were a special battalion group made up of 12 people, and we had the lady's primary physical security assignment.

It was me, Commander Fetiu and US colleague Michael Trost, and another Albanian colleague, Ylber Dylan.

We were dealing with insurance in front of the school. Behind us was the police car where there was an Afghan policeman who hit us from behind. We did not expect that from the police.

It never happened before. We've been in the hail. The moment we got the first bullets we hit the ground. I saw Commander Fetiu heavily on the right on the ground and bullets had taken him in the main veins of his neck from where he was bleeding a lot.

On the other side was American Michael Trost, who took a bullet in his hand and lost two fingers just like he took bullets in his leg and started screaming. I went to the late Commander Fetiu, trying to give him some help. I asked the American colleague how he felt.

That moment I was bleeding I had a bullet in my face. It started bleeding out of the mouth. Under my vest I had a first aid package from which I pulled my bandage to give myself the first aid of a bit of bleeding around my neck. Other members of the group have joined in neutralizing and captured the police. You can't shoot him after he's surrendered. It's the law of war and you can't kill it. Our department boys and other assistants came to our aid to support us. We've been there 25 to 30 minutes until the helicopter came to pick me up, Michael and Commander Fetiu.

All the time, the medical team of the helicopter was struggling through electrosho shocks to keep Commander Fetti Voglin alive, but it was impossible to rescue him to the hospital. It's been a very difficult day for us to lose first since he was commander of the group.

One of the most prepared boys our department ever had. A very good boy and family man. But the war has these and we have nothing to do with it. We have to face everything.

Top Channel: By the test you did then, could this incident be avoided?

Alexander Peci: By the subsequent analysis, it could have been avoided, but it was an ambush or treachery of an undercover Taliban under the guise of Afghan police and later on in other missions we had no other chance of not thinking without suffering. In other missions, it has increased to the police and Afghan soldiers. He had no faith, no man as they say.

Top Channel: These 20 years of shed blood in Afghanistan, even Albanian General Feti Voglit's blood. The question that everyone asks today that the US and NATO left is. Was all this worth the sacrifice?

Alexander Peci: All this sacrifice was worth it because many changes have been made in Afghanistan for 20 years. Many schools have been opened, lowering the level of uneducated people. Many hospitals have been opened too. More important, the opening of many schools because girls were not allowed to receive education. You saw them move around and work. Twenty years is where many among them lost their lives.

Top Channel: Do you think NATO fulfilled the mission in Afghanistan and had come the right time to withdraw?

Alexander Peci: NATO has fulfilled the mission for 20 years by committing many troops. Much work and much investment has been done in the police and the Afghanistan Army. It was time for Afghan government officials to head their own country. To direct security itself because you cannot wait your whole life to have the country safe from NATO, the US or no one else.

Top Channel: How is it that such a large Afghan army could be dissolved, unbroken within 24 hours, causing the Taliban to march as winners toward Kabul?

Alexander Peci: It is unfortunate how this huge investment in Afghanistan's military or special forces and the police will be defeated. Maybe it was because there were too many people undercover from the Taliban and they were afraid. Even their families have been threatened during the time when the coalition was there before they withdrew. Their families were constantly attacked by terrorists.

Top Channel: For the US, Afghanistan was considered a hearth of al-Qaeda terrorism. From your experience there, do you think Afghanistan will return to an active hearth for terrorist groups?

Alexander Peci: We hope not to return. But the odds are that it might even come back, because when a country is run by terrorists, it thinks there will be shelters for terrorists in Afghanistan for many terrorist groups. I hope there isn't, but it's expected to be again.

Top Channel: Do you regret that Afghan translators, including those who helped Albanian missions there, have not been evacuated by now and life was threatened?

Alexander Peci: I'm very sorry, because translators have played a very important role in fulfilling our special missions in Afghanistan.

The translators were our right-hand man. Without an interpreter, you couldn't communicate with the population, village heads, army commanders, police.

I'm sorry they were there because they were very loyal to us with our missions. Since we were there they were threatened, but sure of our presence. I would have longed for the translators and people who have served us the NATO coalition to be evacuated and saved because they are in very great danger.