The United Nations says it is probing “disturbing reports of serious harm” to civilians during Monday’s Afghan military airstrikes on a Taliban-controlled district in northern Kunduz province.
Villagers in Dasth-i Archi told reporters Tuesday they attended mass funerals of dozens of victims, including children, insisting the Afghan Air Force bombed a packed madrassa, or religious seminary.
Local media reported the death of more than 50 people from the strikes, saying that about 150 also were wounded.
The provincial governor’s office said the attack had caused an unknown number of civilian casualties but gave no other details.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, reminded all parties of their obligations to protect civilians from impact of the armed conflict.
“UNAMA [is] actively looking into disturbing reports of serious harm to civilians… Human Rights team on ground establishing facts,” the mission said.
Critics say the deadly attack could lead to revenge insurgent attacks and undermine efforts to encourage the Taliban to come to the negotiating table.
Afghan Ambassador to neighboring Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal condemned the strike as an “irresponsible” action, cautioning such attacks are detrimental to efforts aimed at ending the ongoing "bloody and destructive war."
The "aerial strike on a madrassa in Dasth-i Archi, which killed many civilians, including children, is condemnable,” the Afghan diplomat tweeted Tuesday. "This will further prolong the conflict and bloodshed," he added.
Afghan Defense Ministry officials denied reports of civilian casualties. They maintained combat helicopters undertook the counterinsurgency mission after spy drones had established the compound was a Taliban training facility.
Officials said a big meeting of key insurgent commanders and fighters was underway at the time of the attack, killing more than 35 of them.
The reported casualties underscored the risk of increased reliance on air power under U.S. President Donald Trump's new strategy to try to force the Taliban to the negotiating table.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai also condemned Monday's attack in Kunduz, saying it killed and wounded civilians. “Such raids, carried out in the name of fighting terrorism, on our homes, hospitals and religious facilities are against all principles,” Karzai tweeted.
Kunduz briefly fell to the Taliban in 2015 and the insurgents overran it for a second time the following year before U.S. air support enabled Afghan forces to evict the rebels from the area.
A 2015 U.S. military airstrike, while the Taliban was still in control of Kunduz, mistakenly hit and destroyed a hospital, killing 42 people, mostly patients and medical staff. Residents say the Taliban maintain a strong presence in districts surrounding the provincial capital.
Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the prolonged Afghan hostilities. UNAMA documented more than 10,000 civilian casualties in 2017, including around 3,500 fatalities.
Read More UN Probes 'Disturbing' Reports of Afghan Civilian Casualties in Kunduz : https://ift.tt/2uFinD3
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