'I received threats as a woman and former soldier': Afghan Army officer's terrifying ordeal fleeing the Taliban

A female former Afghan soldier has described her and her family's terrifying ordeal fearing capture and torture as she fled the Taliban – and how she now faces an agonising wait to find out if she will ever secure a safe haven in the UK.

Rikhan, not her real name, said: "I was not worried about myself, whether they would kill or burn me.

" I was more worried about my two children as a mother. I was receiving threats as a woman and as a former soldier."

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Speaking to Forces News, she described how she feared for her and her family's safety, hiding indoors to keep out of sight of Taliban eyes, frequently moving from one place to the next to evade capture, before finally making a run for the border to find temporary refuge in Pakistan.

Her husband did not make it out of the country with her – he bravely stayed to face the Taliban to help his wife and children escape.

She has not seen him since.

Rikhan believes she is one of the last female soldiers still hoping to be evacuated to safety under the UK Government's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, and it's the work she did with the British Army that she fears puts her in danger.

Run jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office, the ARAP scheme provides help for those who worked with British Forces in Afghanistan to come to the UK.

So far, more than 12,000 people have come here under ARAP, but it's understood there are almost 64,000 applications waiting to be processed and Forces News understands the vast majority are thought to be ineligible. 

During their time in Afghanistan, Nato soldiers mentored Afghan instructors and supported them as they delivered training to more than 5,000 officer cadets. Around 6% of the graduates were women.

Rikhan can be seen in the video at the top of this article, leading a parade as a former Afghan officer, serving as a female platoon commander at the Afghan National Army (ANA) training academy where she was based for more than seven years.

She worked throughout this time in close contact with mentors from the British Army – a connection she now fears puts her at risk.

She estimates that she trained about 350 Afghan women during her time at the academy.

Now her former job makes her a high-value Taliban target.

"I did that job proudly. I am proud of my previous background, it was an honour for me, during that time I didn't receive any threats or feel in danger but the situation has changed since the Taliban came to power."

When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, many of her comrades were evacuated to safety but Rikhan went into hiding with her young family. 

Despite taking precautions – wearing a full burka when she had to go out and moving locations regularly – she began to receive terrifying threats.

Then, one night, armed men came and surrounded the family home.

Rikhan said: "I stayed until the last minute in the hope the Taliban would not kill me or torture me.

"Despite the fact I was receiving threats all the time, I stayed until they came and knocked on my door.

"I thank my husband – he told me to go to the neighbours' house and he himself stayed to face them."

Rikhan's husband was arrested and she then fled with her two young sons across the border to Pakistan. She has not heard from her husband since.

The mum of two showed Forces News the basic conditions in which they are living and talked about her fears for her family.

She now believes she is one of the last female Afghan soldiers still waiting to reach safety.

She said: "All of my colleagues were evacuated. Only me and one other remain, just the last two of us who haven't been able to evacuate to any safe country."

Despite the connection with the British Army putting her and her family at risk, it is not clear whether she will be covered by ARAP because she was employed by the Afghan government.

Forces News spoke to other former Afghan soldiers who have managed to find safety in the UK and who spoke out for Rikhan.

Former Afghan Intelligence officer Najeeb was among those who worked with Rikhan.

After the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021, he and his wife Gohar were evacuated by UK troops under Operation Pitting.

He said he was disappointed the Government was not doing more to help others who worked alongside British troops.

He said: "I don't see any other person more vulnerable than her. She is obviously vulnerable.

"She is in a third country now, she has no source of income, her husband has been taken, she has her two young small children with her, her English is not very well.

"She had mentors in this country and she served proudly in ANA for more than eight years."

Nato aimed to promote and protect women's rights but, since coming to power, the Taliban have turned this on its head and women who served in the armed forces are some of the most vulnerable to persecution.

Rikhan said she was now worried for her two young children as she faces an anxious wait to find out if she will be allowed to find safety in the UK.

She said she faces an uncertain future in Pakistan and is extremely worried about failing to get approval to settle in the UK.