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JALALABAD (SW): Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Jalalabad on Wednesday against the alleged killing of 16 civilians in a US air strike last week.
The protesters urged upon the government, and the U.S. forces to take serious measures to stop such incidents from recurring. Protesters and members of the provincial council criticized the government for not raising its voice against such incidents. They warned if such incidents reoccurred, they would close down the highways.
Talking to Salam Watandar, Naveed Shinwari, one of the protesters, and Zabehullah Shinwari, member of the provincial council, urged the government to take urgent and effective measures to ensure civilians remain unharmed during such operations.
Speaking to media on the occasion, Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial government, said the US forces have informed them only civilians have been targeted in the attack, but there are reports from the Papeen area that civilians have also been killed and wounded. Promising investigations, he did not specified the death toll.
Reports suggest up to 16 civilians including women and children got killed in a U.S. air raid in Haska Maina district on August 10. However, United States Forces-Afghanistan has claimed only Daesh militants were attacked. “The militants were observed loading weapons in to a vehicle and were under surveillance until the vehicle was destroyed by an airstrike” said Bob Purtiman, United States Forces-Afghanistan spokesman a day after the strike. “The strike was conducted in the middle of open terrain. There was zero chance of civilian casualties”, he said.
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