KABUL, Afghanistan — The family of a 73-year-old Japanese physician killed earlier this week in a roadside shooting in eastern Afghanistan arrived on Friday in Kabul to return his body home to the city of Fukuoka.
The killing of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, known as “Uncle Murad” to the villagers whose lives he helped change for the better, has shocked many Afghans across the country. Nakamura was gunned down along with five Afghans on Wednesday as they traveled to the Nangarhar provincial capital of Jalalabad.
The gunmen fled the scene and police say their investigation is still looking for those behind the attack. The Taliban have denied any connection to the slaying.
Nakamura’s wife and daughter were among family members who arrived in Kabul, said Japanese officials, adding that three of his colleagues, including a school friend, had also made the trip to Afghanistan to bring the physician back home. Nakamura’s body is being kept at a military hospital.
The Afghan government is expected to hold a memorial service on Saturday to honor Nakamura’s service to Afghanistan. He arrived in the country in 2008 and took the lead in building irrigation infrastructures in eastern Nangarhar province.
Earlier this year, President Ashraf Ghani awarded Nakamura honorary Afghan citizenship. Candlelit vigils have been held across Afghanistan condemning his killing and on Friday, the governor in eastern Khost province, Mohammad Alim Fedayye, named a square inside the provincial capital for Nakamura.
Also Friday, demonstrators protested outside the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul, accusing Pakistan’s intelligence services of involvement in Nakamura’s death. There was no evidence of the allegation. Pakistan and Afghanistan routinely exchange accusations.
Hundreds of social media posts also expressed sorrow and outrage over the attack. One post carried a drawing of the Japanese physician, with the words: “Sorry we couldn’t save you Nakamura.” (AP)