Zaiwalat, also Zaywalāyat or Zywlayt (Pashto: زیولایت) is a subdistrict and village of
Jalrez District,
Maidan Wardak Province, Afghanistan.
It lies along the
Kabul-Behsud Highway, to the west of
Kot-e Ashro
Kot-e Ashro (also Kotah-ye `Ashro, Kot-i-Ashro, Kuteh-Ashro) (Pashto:کوټه عښرو ) is a small town in the western Paghman Mountains of Jalrez District, Maidan Wardak Province, Afghanistan. It was formerly the district capital until it was ta ...
and to the east of the town of
Jalrez. As of 2010 the village itself had a population of about 300 people. It is inhabited mainly by
Pashtuns and is a producer of fruit, with extensive orchards in the vicinity.
History
In 2009, American convoys were ambushed by the Taliban in the predominantly Pashtun village of Zaiwalat.
The US retaliated and invaded the village at 3.15am on November 19, 2009, capturing nine locals, including Habib ur-Rahman, a suspected Talibanist, and taking them by helicopter to
Rish-Khor
Rish Khor is a prison on an Afghan military base that former captives report was run by Americans
Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States o ...
for a three-day interrogation. As of 2010 the village had an estimated people of about 300 people.
In 2014, a bridge was built in Zaiwalat. In September 2016, 11 men from the village were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen. After 20 days, a group from the village retaliated with an armed attack, capturing six people, leading to the release of the 11 hostages.
Economy
The area is a producer of fruit, such as apples, apricots and peaches, with extensive orchards in Zaiwalat.
Landmarks
The main school is Zaiwalat High School.
Notable people
*
Haji Mosa Hotak
Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since i ...
(born 1954) former Mujahedin commander
*
Qari Sayed Agha (died 2019) - a Taliban commander of the
Haqqani terrorist network, from Zaiwalat.
References
{{Wardak Province
Populated places in Maidan Wardak Province
Jalrez District
Subdistricts of Maidan Wardak Province