Afghan surgeon shot by terrorists trying to get family to Australia

An Afghan surgeon who had loved-ones killed in cold blood by terrorists is pleading to authorities to save the family he has left.

Dr Adbullatif Stanikzai fled Afghanistan after being shot three times by the Taliban. Picture: Rob Leeson.

An Afghan surgeon shot twice by terrorists is desperately trying to get his family to Australia after their home was booby-trapped with a grenade.

Dr Abdullatif Stanikzai worked at Civilian War Victims Kabul Emergency Hospital, treating locals and aid workers who had been caught up in the war — including from Australia.
But his life was thrown into turmoil after police brought him three severely injured men who they wanted to keep alive for questioning.

The men were part of an offshoot of the Taliban called the Haqqani network, which tracked down Dr Stanikzai and his team after they were unable to save their men and launched an attack outside the hospital.

“It was frightening but also insulting because as doctors we would never deliberately harm a patient,” he said.

“I found it hard to understand how we, who were dedicated to saving lives, could be targeted by these people in such a way.”

. Dr Abdullatif Stanikzai. Supplied

He was hit by three bullets and barely survived. A colleague and a driver died.

Showing one of his many scars before breaking down in tears, Dr Stanikzai said he was also stabbed multiple times and shot again with a silenced weapon, before the group took aim at his family.

His father, his uncle, and a brother were killed at their home in Dr Stanikzai’s village — the only reason he is alive today is because he was held up at hospital treating injured civilians.

“When I was younger I watched a movie that was like this, but I never imagined it could be real life,” he said.

Finally, the government provided him paperwork to flee the country, ending up in Indonesia where he sought asylum.

Dr Abdullatif Stanikzai holding knife he removed during surgery. Supplied

After being offered a place in the US, Canada and Australia he chose the latter after seeking advice from friends.

In a cruel twist, minor surgery to fix scar tissue from a motorcycle accident when he arrived in South Australia turned into a near-death experience after he got septicaemia or blood poisoning.

He was flown to Melbourne for emergency surgery.

Now on crutches while he recovers, the 38-year-old is determined to get back to study once well enough so he can continue his own medical career.

A hand grenade was strung to the front door of the house where Dr Abdullatif Stanikzai and family were staying. Supplied

“It has always been my dream to be able to help people through my medicine,” he said.

But first, he is desperate for help to get his mother, fiance and siblings out of harm’s way.

He shows a photo of a grenade strung to a door, saying it was left for his family despite being moved from safe house to safe house.

“Please help my family, bring them here or help them,” he said.

Dr Stanikzai has been supported in Melbourne by adult education service AMES Australia, which is also pushing for his family’s plight to be addressed.

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