Afghan Civilians Killed in NATO Airstrike
In a NATO airstrike of Kandahar, Afghanistan against suspected insurgents on Monday, 5 civilians were killed. According to a statement on Monday from NATO, a joint patrol of troops saw individuals digging on a path and mistakenly concluded that they were planting an explosive device.
Isaf deputy chief of staff Maj Gen Michael Regner said that they regret the tragic accident and offer their sympathies to the families of those who were injured and killed. Their combined forces take all precautions necessary to minimize casualties of civilians, he added, and they will investigate the incident further to determine how it happened.
Over 15,000 Afghan, American, British and other troops are involved in Moshtarak to reclaim Marjah from control of the Taliban, an operation that started on Friday. It is the biggest coalition attack since 2001 when the Taliban fell, and it is also considered the first big test to face US President Barack Obama’s new strategy.
This incident came only a day after American rockets accidentally killed 12 civilians on Sunday. Top NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen Stanley McChrystal apologized on Sunday to Afghan President Hamid Karzai after the American rockets missed insurgents and hit a building, killing the 12 civilians. Karzai had asked military leaders to avoid killing civilians, and he issued a statement on Sunday saying that 10 members of the same family had been killed by one of the rockets.
Gen McChrystal also immediately suspended using the rocket system involved, while Karzai ordered an investigation. In a release, the rockets were said to have missed the target by 300 meters.