Authorities airstrikes in northern Afghanistan killed 24 civilians, together with youngsters, and wounded six others, witnesses advised The Related Press on Sunday.
The 2 witnesses contacted by the AP mentioned most of these killed in Saturday’s airstrikes, which struck the village of Sayed Ramazan in northern Kunduz province, had been civilians. The Khanabad district within the province the place the village is situated is Taliban-controlled.
The Afghan Defence Ministry, nevertheless, mentioned the airstrikes killed 30 Taliban fighters, however added an investigation was being made into claims that civilians had been amongst these killed.
The airstrikes come as Taliban and government-appointed negotiators are assembly for the primary time in Qatar to debate the way forward for Afghanistan and an finish to a long time of battle and battle.
Villagers mentioned an preliminary airstrike focused a home belonging to a Taliban fighter, whose residence doubled as a checkpoint for stopping and frisking folks to make sure they weren’t linked to the federal government. The explosion set hearth to a close-by residence, trapping a household inside, mentioned Latif Rahmani, who witnessed the airstrikes and spoke to the AP by telephone.
Rahmani mentioned farmers and villagers ran to douse the hearth and rescue trapped members of the family inside when a second airstrike hit, killing a lot of them.
Rahmani, who mentioned he was engaged on his home on the time of the airstrike, warned his neighbours in opposition to operating towards the burning buildings for worry of a second airstrike.
“I yelled at folks and advised them to not go as a result of perhaps there can be one other bombing, however they ran to assist and to place out the hearth,” Rahmani mentioned.
A second witness within the space, Kalamuddin, who like many Afghans makes use of only one title, mentioned the lone Taliban fighter who lived in the home that was initially hit had been killed. He mentioned 5 youngsters had been among the many 24 civilians that had been killed.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the airstrikes and mentioned the Taliban had no army operations within the space on the time of the airstrike.
The United Nations has harshly criticized each side within the battle for the relentless killing of civilians in Afghanistan’s protracted battle. A U.N. report mentioned 1,282 Afghan civilians had been killed within the first half of 2020, down 13 per cent from 2019.
The peace talks in Qatar are a part of a U.S.-brokered take care of the Taliban that may finally result in U.S. withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
In late July, an Afghan authorities airstrike killed not less than 14 folks within the western Herat province, a lot of them girls and kids. Witnesses mentioned a whole bunch of individuals had gathered to welcome residence a former Taliban fighter free of jail when plane pounded the gathering.
Earlier that month, Afghan nationwide military personnel fired mortars right into a busy market in southern Helmand, killing 23 folks. The Defence Ministry remains to be investigating the incident.
Additionally Saturday, not less than six rockets had been fired at NATO’s Resolute Assist base in southern Kandahar. No casualties had been reported and nobody claimed duty. NATO mentioned in an announcement that if the Taliban had been behind the rocket hearth, it may jeopardize the U.S. peace deal wherein the Taliban have promised to not assault U.S. and NATO forces.
© 2020 The Canadian Press
