Afghan Gov’t Tasks Team to Probe Civilian Casualties in Kunar
At least 20 civilians, including 12 children, were killed in an airstrike targeting a Taliban commander in the eastern province of Kunar late on Thursday, according to local officials.
At least 20 civilians, including 12 children, were killed in an airstrike targeting a Taliban commander in the eastern province of Kunar late on Thursday, according to local officials.
The strike, against local Taliban commander Sharif Mawiya, was the latest in a series targeting senior insurgents, including the shadow governor of the strategic southern province of Helmand, who was killed on Dec. 2.
The operation was conducted in Shegal district of Kunar province on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the Afghan government has tasked a team to probe into the operation.
“With those who did negligence in this respect or did not give accurate information will be treated based on the law,” Ghafoor Ahmad Jawed, spokesman of Defense Ministry said.
“A team has been assigned to assess the incident and find out whether it was a mistake in air coordination or there was other problem,” said Najib Danish, spokesman for Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Abdul Latif Fazly, a member of the provincial council, said 8 women and 12 children were killed and more than 15 others wounded during the operation.
“The Taliban continue to use civilians as shields and barricade themselves inside compounds while engaging the Afghan forces,” said Debra Richardson, a spokesperson for the NATO’s Resolute Support Mission.
According to United Nations figures, 313 civilians were killed and 336 wounded in airstrikes by U.S. and Afghan forces in the nine months to the end of September, a 39 per cent increase from the same period in 2017.
