Afghanistan: Soldiers Discover Abandoned Baby By The Road
Polish troops patrolling southern Afghanistan made a shocking discovery: A newborn baby abandoned on the side of the road.
The soldiers came upon the newborn baby girl, wrapped in a towel, on Wednesday while they were checking the safety of a route near their military base in Waghez, reports the Seattle Times. Defense Ministry spokesman Janusz Walczak told The Associated Press that the Polish soldiers on patrol who discovered the baby have named her Pola, after their native Poland.
Though it seems unimaginable that such a tragic discovery could actually be a trap, the group of soldiers was at first suspicious upon discovering the abandoned newborn, as hidden roadside bombs are prevalent across Afghanistan.
No other people were found in the 2-kilometer (1 mile) radius around the base in Waghez, so it is still unclear to officials who had left the baby by the side of the road, and perhaps most importantly, why they would do such a thing, reports ABC News.
In any case, the entire column brought the newborn baby to a medical center at their base. Soldiers were dispatched to buy baby Pola some baby formula, a bottle, and a bib.
Afghanistan has been the subject of media interest lately regarding another bit of baby-related news. It was reported earlier this week that a British soldier stationed there unexpectedly gave birth to a boy – the first child ever born to a member of Britain’s armed forces in combat – after telling medics that she was suffering from stomach pains. The woman was unaware that she was pregnant, and only consulted doctors the day she went into labor.
