9 of a family killed in Kapisa mortar strike

MEHMOOD RAQI (Pajhwok): Nine people were killed, all from the same family, after a mortar shell hit their home in Tagab district of central Kapisa province amid clashes between security forces and militants on Monday, an official said.

The Tagab district police chief, Mohammad Naeem Safi, told Pajhwok Afghan News that clashes between security forces and Taliban militants had been ongoing in various parts of the district over the past few days.

He said during these clashes, a mortar landed on a civilian home in Badrab locality in Almas Khel village, killing mine members of the family and wounding several others.

He did not say who fired the mortar, but added Taliban militants had also suffered causalities during the ongoing war.

Haji Khalil, a resident of the area, told Pajhwok that some other homes had also been hit by mortar shells and had wounded people. He said the conflict was underway in their area and no one could go out of home.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on his twitter account wrote that it was an airstrike by US forces that killed nine members of a family in Badarab area of Tagab district.

pk/ma