Noor Aziz Ahmadzai helped British troops working as a translator for soliders as they fought to defeat the Taliban
An Afghan war hero who put his life on the line for Britain has been left fighting to survive after an alleged attack by teenage girls while working as a security guard in the UK. Noor Aziz Ahmadzai, 39, had a high-risk role as a translator for British soldiers and fled Afghanistan dressed as a woman to evade brutal penalties from the Taliban.
The dad-of-one has since rebuilt his life in the UK, working as a security guard. But now the former loyal Afghan special forces member has allegedly been attacked while working, leaving him with serious brain injuries from which it may take months to recover.
His ex partner has “put her life on hold” to care for him as it emerged that two teenage girls have been arrested and released on bail following the attack on Thursday March 26. His ex and mother to their two-year-old son, George Morse, has stepped up to care for Noor who now faces a lengthy battle to recover.
The war hero is said to be in a stable but serious condition. Speaking to the Mirror, family friend Jacqueline Skott, 57, said George, a nurse who helped Noor settle in the UK following his arrival, has travelled to be by his bedside, leaving their son in the care of her parents.
Jacqueline has set up a GoFundMe campaign to ensure George has the help she needs to provide Noor with support, with his road to recovery appearing increasingly complex.
She said dedicated George has “put her life on hold” for her former partner, saying: “She’s got a two-year-old son with Noor. She’s left her son in Brighton and is renting nearby so she can be at the hospital.
“She was on [the Monday after Noor’s hospitalisation] due to start a three-day induction at a nursing home. Now suddenly, of course, that’s not happened because she’s been down there. Suddenly her life has been thrown into disarray.”
It is reported Noor “won’t be able to retain any new information or new memories for at least 2 to 3 weeks” with specialists saying “it could likely take around 6 months to ascertain the level of any long-term damage”.
Noor previously served in Afghanistan’s military. During his service, he worked as a translator for the British military, and later joined the Afghan special forces. He then became the deputy commander of a specialist Afghan counter-terrorism unit that responded to suicide attacks in Kabul, and was among the first at the scene of hundreds of incidents.
He was given sanctuary in the UK in 2021 following the fall of Kabul alongside more than 1,400 others who had assisted British forces.
At the time Noor spoke of how difficult his life was when the Taliban took back control. “It was a black day for all Afghans who worked with other militaries,” he said. Noor was initially arrested at a Taliban checkpoint as a member of Afghan special forces, but was released after a commanding officer claimed – falsely – that he had quit three months before.
He ran four-and-a-half miles home without shoes, his feet covered in blisters. His mother then took him to hide inside a water tank at his sister’s house overnight, and he was rescued thanks to the intervention of a colleague from Sandhurst he contacted on Facebook.
“There was an attack on my home, and they shot my family members,” Noor said. “My colleague thought I was dead. When I messaged, he told me he was crying that I was alive. He said, ‘come to the airport at six in the morning’. Then I put on women’s clothes, as the Taliban were stopping cars – but when they saw a woman in the car, they would leave the car alone.
“I used a woman’s scarf on my head, and I went to the airport. He came to the gate to get me. My mum just pushed me. She said, ‘get out of here’, and so I didn’t hug her one last time.”
British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed in a statement that officers were called to a railway station at 8.31pm on March 26 following reports that a member of rail staff had been assaulted.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Atwell said two teenage girls were arrested in connection with the incident, and they have since been released from custody as the investigation continues.
He said: “Our investigation into this extremely concerning incident is ongoing, and two teenage girls, both aged 17, were arrested at the scene in connection. They have been released from custody while our enquiries continue. Our thoughts of course are with the member of staff involved whose family we are supporting.
“We’re keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident to get in touch with us, either by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 741 of 26 March.”
People can support the GoFundMe, which has so far raised £5,424 of its £8,000 target from more than 100 donations, by following this link.