Commander Assadullah Andarabi was an Afghan National Police (ANP) officer who refused to bow to Wednesday’s suicide bomber and instead reportedly stopped the truck at the cost of his life.



Andarabi and his eight soldiers were stationed at a check post near Zarbaq Square in Wazir Akbar Khan area at the time of the incident. It was at this check post that the truck bomb was detonated. The bodies of four of Andarabi’s colleagues have still not been recovered.



The commander of the Directorate for The Protection of Embassies was on Thursday perplexed as to how a tanker, used to empty sewerage pits, had managed to pass several security check posts and enter one of the most heavily fortified areas in the city.



“Trucks entering Zanbaq Square is not allowed, but when the truck (truck bomber) reached the area, the late commander Assadullah stopped it and told the truck driver that there is no permission to enter the premises, in this movement the explosion takes place and as a result our commander Assadullah and one other officer Ziaullah were martyred including four other guards who until now are missing and we could not find their bodies” said Najibullah Wardak, the commander of the Directorate for the Protection of Embassies.



He said that Andarabi and his men bravely ordered the tanker to stop, which gave the bomber no option but to detonate the explosives.



Andarabi, 48, was tasked with protecting the German embassy in Kabul and was the father of five sons and one daughter.



Samiullah, 18, is Andarabi’s eldest son and a student.



“This is not a government, this is a mess, why do they not search and stop such trucks,” said Samiullah.



Andarabi joined the Afghan police 15 years ago.



On Wednesday afternoon the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan issued a statement that condemned the attacks.



“The vigilance and courage of Afghan security forces prevented the VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) from gaining entry to the Green Zone, but the explosion caused civilian casualties in the vicinity,” read their statement.