An Afghan veteran who lives in southern Helmand province has lost his four sons in ongoing conflicts, but he says he is ready to forgive everyone if peace comes to the country.

Saleh Mohammad, 80, said he has served in the Afghan army for 26 years – before 1992.

Mohammad said one of his sons were killed in an airstrike by foreign forces in Kajaki district in Helmand a few years ago and his second was killed by the Taliban when he went to the area to receive his brother’s body.

He said that his two other sons were also killed in Taliban attacks in Helmand. 

Mohammad has three sons right now.

“If peace comes, I will forgive all the sacrifices,” Mohammad said. “These were incidents that happened, but our sons, youths and the next generation are alive and they are bearing the brunt of the brutal war. I will have no claim if the war ends and peace comes.”

Out of the four killed sons, two of them were married and their sons and daughters’ future are unknown, Mohammad said. 

Some relatives and neighbors of Mohammad said his economic condition is has worsened following the death of his sons.

“They are in pain. Since he has lost his four sons, he feels lonely and he is sick and has no one to take him to the doctor,” said Shah Mohammad, Mohammad’s neighbor. 

The continued war in the country has taken high a high toll from many families, like Saleh Mohammad.

Based on the United Nations figures, in the last 18 years of war in the country, over 60,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands of others have been wounded.