ISAF apologises for civilian deaths in Wardak

MAIDAN SHAHR (PAN-led troops formally apologised on Sunday for last week’s killing of two civilians, including a female doctor, in central Maidan Wardak province, officials said.

The troops tendered a written apology, offered three sheep and $33000 to Mir Agha, a relative of the victims, through Governor Mohammad Halim Fidayee, provincial council chief, Mohammad Hazrat Janan, and Senator Sami Jan at a ceremony held at the Governor’s House.

Mir Agha’s wife, Aqila Hekmat, was killed along with a relative on June 21, when ISAF forces opened fire at their vehicle in the Sheikhabad area of Syedabad district after a roadside blast hit their convoy. Later, an investigation found that the dead were civilians.

ISAF commander for Logar and Maidan Wardak provinces said they had apologised to the family of Mir Agha and were hopeful he would forgive them for the mistaken deaths. He promised they would continue trying their best to avoid civilian casualties during operations.

Governor Fidayee said President Hamid Karzai and the people of Afghanistan had long been urging foreign troops to stop killing innocent people. “Armed militants are brutally killing our people. The latest example was the killing of Ahmad Omaid Khpalwak,” he said.

Mir Agha said he forgiven the ISAF troops who had killed his family members. Hundreds of innocent people had been killed during counterinsurgency operations by foreign troops and his family members were among them.

ma/mud

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