Former Canadian Soldier Arrested By Taliban In Kabul

Canadian media CTV News, citing its sources, reported that David Lavery, a Canadian veteran, was arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan on Monday last week.

Lavery had evacuated more than a hundred Afghans from Kabul during the evacuation operation in August 2021.

Canadian media CTV News reported on Saturday, citing its sources, that David Lavery was arrested at the Kabul airport on Monday last week after a flight to Afghanistan.

Lavery has traveled to Afghanistan many times over the years and provides consulting services through his private security company in Kabul.

A source told this Canadian media outlet that the Taliban were aware of Lavery's presence and activities in Afghanistan several years ago.

The Government of Canada's Global Affairs Division, which manages the country's diplomatic and consular relations, confirmed to CTV News that it is "aware of an incident involving a Canadian in Afghanistan and that Canadian officials continue to closely monitor the situation”.

Lavery, known in Afghanistan as the "Canadian Dave", was the only Canadian left at Kabul International Airport when Afghanistan fell in August 2021.

Canadian embassy staff had already left the country on evacuation flights, and after four days, Canadian troops arrived in Kabul to help Lavery.

Lavery was given a list of about a thousand people waiting to be transferred to Canada. His team's mission was to assist in the immediate transfer of people waiting at the airport with valid Canadian documents.

Lavery eventually helped 100 people included in this list to leave Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.