KABUL (SW): President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the death of some 30 civilians in northern Kunduz province on Thursday.
According to the local officials, at least 30 Afghan civilians, including women and children, were killed in a NATO airstrike. The strike reportedly occurred early Thursday after a firefight killed two US soldiers and three Afghan Special Forces during an anti-Taliban operation in Kunduz.
A communiqué by the Arg (Presidential Palace) noted today that the matter would be candidly studied, and anyone found guilty would be brought to justice. It added that the armed rebels used civilians as human-shield. Expressing sadness and concerns over the incident, Ghani directed security officials to pay extra attention towards ensuring safety of the civilians. The President also directed officials to provide urgent aid and support to the victims’ families.
The committee probing losses in the fighting in Kudnuz believes civilians’ casualty figure is much higher than reported. Mir Aqa Etebar, director for Disasters Management Authority (DMA) said today that near one hundred civilians have lost their lives in the fighting during the last two days.
ENDS
