‘Delegation in Kunduz to probe civilian casualties’

KABUL (Pajhwok): Government officials on Saturday said civilian casualties in Thursday’s airstrike in northern Kunduz province were being investigated, but rejected figures reported in the media.

Local residents had said 30 civilians were killed in the joint Afghan-US airstrikes and another 24 civilians were wounded.

Media reports had claimed the airstrikes followed the killing of two American soldiers and injuring of two others.

The Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) had said three Afghan commandos were killed and two others wounded in the operation against militants.

MoD spokesman Maj. Gen. Dawlat Waziri, presidential spokesman and a NATO forces spokesman on Saturday addressed a joint press conference in Kabul about the incident in Kunduz.

Waziri said civilian casualties had taken place in Kunduz, but they would not confirm that eleven children among 30 civilians had been killed.

He said a delegation had been created to find correct number of casualties. Waziri said the Taliban Ziaullah Mutaqi’s home in Boz Kandahar area. They were planning to once again capture Kunduz City.

When the Afghan security forces launched operation on the house, they faced with stiff resistance from the insurgents.

Three Afghan commandos were killed and two others wounded in the firefight, prompting the Afghan forces to call for air support from NATO forces, Waziri said. He said the slain and wounded civilians included family members of Taliban.

Presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansori also said the Taliban used civilians as well as their own family members as human shield.

He said the Taliban were holding their gathering among civilians who suffered casualties in the airstrike. He said president Ghani had appointed a delegation headed by Gen. Hilaluddin to investigate the incident.

Chakhansori said the delegation had reached Kunduz and if someone had committed negligence in the incident, they would have to face legal action.

NATO resolute support spokesman Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland said they were working with the Afghan security forces to determine the facts.

He said the NATO forces were defending the Afghan forces when attacks on them increased and the airstrike hit Taliban positions. He said initial reports showed key Taliban figures had been killed in the airstrike.

He said the Taliban posed a serious security threat to the people of Kunduz and NATO forces would continue working with their Afghan partners.

He said the Afghan forces were strengthening with each passing day, defeating the enemy, but the only way to reach peace and stability were talks.

The Taliban had confirmed the deaths of their three fighters only in the airstrike and had claimed the rest were civilians.

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