During combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, some soldiers reported encounters that didn’t fit any known threat, animal, or enemy tactic. Small humanoid figures seen at night. Unexplained movement around guard posts. Local interpreters refusing to enter certain villages without explanation. Often dismissed as stress, exhaustion, or superstition, these accounts share striking similarities with regional folklore that long predates modern warfare. From remote outposts to abandoned settlements, servicemen describe experiences they still struggle to explain.