US News

Heartbreaking image shows crying baby handed over to US soldier in Kabul

An extraordinary video and series of photos shows the pulse-pounding moment a wailing baby was handed over a fence to an American soldier at the Kabul airport, a fellow Marine wincing as the baby was lifted over barbed wire to him by just her arm.

The heartbreaking scene played out at the wall around the Kabul airport — where thousands of Afghans are trying to flee from the Taliban-controlled country.

The Marine was filmed plucking the baby, reported to be a girl, from a crowd of desperate Afghans at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Standing guard on top of the fence, he lifted the girl up by her arm and passed her off to a fellow marine alongside him.

The second marine, who took the baby with both hands, appeared to wince as he watched her come dangerously close to the razor wire.

The two marines are with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a Marine corps spokesperson told the Post.

A baby is given to the American Army over the perimeter wall of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. OMAR HAIDARI/via REUTERS
US Marines guide a woman and a child during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, on August 18, 2021. Isaiah CAMPBELL / US MARINE CORPS / AFP

A viral video of the perilous and sure-to-be iconic handoff was taken by human rights activist Omar Haidari.

Following the ordeal, the baby was taken to a medical treatment facility at the airport.

The baby has since been reunited with her father and is now safe at the airport.

“The baby seen in the video was taken to a medical treatment facility on site and cared for by medical professionals. I can confirm the baby was reunited with their father and is safe at the airport,” Maj. Jim Stenger told CBS News.

It is the latest harrowing image to emerge as people desperate to flee the Taliban beg troops and US allies to help them evacuate.

In this image provided by the US Marine Corps, Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calm infants during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. US Central Command Public Affair
In this image provided by the US Marine Corps, Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calm infants during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. US Central Command Public Affair

British soldiers revealed earlier this week that mothers were throwing their babies at them.

“The mothers were desperate, they were getting beaten by the Taliban. They shouted, ‘Save my baby!’ and threw the babies at us. Some of the babies fell on the barbed wire,” one British officer told the UK’s Independent.

“It was awful what happened. By the end of the night, there wasn’t one man among us who was not crying.”

The nonprofit organization Rise to Peace also posted a series of video clips showing similar pandemonium earlier this week.