<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani has tasked a commission with investigating alleged civilian casualties in an airstrike in northern Kunduz province, the Presidential Palace said on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The airstrike by the Afghan Air Force hit a religious school in the Dasht-i-Archi district on Monday and allegedly caused civilian deaths besides inflicting casualties on the <a href="/en/taliban" class="glossify-link">Taliban</a>.</p>
<p>A statement from the Presidential Palace said the Taliban had invited their associates from inside and outside of the country to Kunduz’s Dasht-i-Archi district to plan another deadliest attack on the Afghans and their country.</p>
<p>The army was fully aware of the Taliban’s plan and thwarted a catastrophic incident but unfortunately reports about innocent civilian deaths had also been received, the statement added.</p>
<p>It said the president tasked a commission headed by Gen. Khudaidad Hazar to investigate the incident and report its findings to the National Security Council within a week.</p>
<p>The president also offered condolences to the families of civilians who lost their lives and directed the authorities concerned to help the injured people and provide them necessary assistance.</p>
<p>Defence Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Radminish told reports here that the Afghan Air Force (AAF) targeted a Taliban training centre in Dasht-i-Arch district. He showed pictures of Taliban to reporters who had gathered at the site.</p>
<p>He named 18 Taliban affiliates, including Taliban’s <a href="/en/quetta-shura" class="glossify-link">Quetta Shura</a> member Mualvi Baryal who killed and 11 others injured in the airstrike.</p>
<p>“We targeted the spot from where the AAF copters were targeted with anti-aircraft guns,” he said.</p>
<p>But some sources said many civilians had been killed and injured in the AAF airstrike.</p>
<p>Lawmaker Abdullah Quarleq said 25 Taliban, 60 civilians had been killed while over 50 civilians injured in the airstrike.</p>
<p>nh/ma</p>
