Police Say Afghan Girl Forced To Wear Suicide Vest Detained By Authorities

"My brother Zahir and his friend Jabar forced me to wear the suicide vest. They also gave me extra clothes to wear after crossing the water, they brought me near the river to cross at night but when I saw the water and coldness I shouted, and said that it is cold and I can't cross the water. They moved me back home and take off the vest from my body. My father beat me, I had to run away from home in the middle of the night and spent the rest of night in a village nearby to our home called Balochan village. And early morning I surrendered myself to the police force in that area," 10-year-old Spozhmay said.Police said she surrendered herself to authorities in southern Helmand province, after her brother told her to carry out a suicide attack on a police checkpoint at the border.

Spozhmay also told police of her other experiences with the Taliban.

"My brother killed an army soldier in Marja district. They have captured the army soldier in Lashkar Gah and killed him. I saw the killing and I was crying, I asked my brother not to do this but they didn't listen to me. My brother kept me at home for most of the time and did not allow me to go out," she said.

Media were invited by local police to film the girl and interview her.

Police commander also spoke to media about Spozhmay.

"The girl whose name is Spozhmay, she was forced by two Taliban commanders to wear the suicide vest and blow up the police base. One of the commander is her brother. As you can see this innocent girl, she shouldn't be doing this, no one and no religion allows her to do this," said Colonel Hamidullah Sediqi, a commander of the border police force.

The use of children and women bombers in Afghanistan has been relatively rare in the years since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government.