UN: US-led airstrike killed 90 Afghan civilians
Washington, 26 August (IranVNC)—The United Nations said today it has found “convincing evidence” that nearly 90 Afghan civilians were killed in an airstrike by the US-led coalition troops in the western Afghanistan last week, AP reports.
By: IranVNC
Published: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
15:45GMT—11:45AM/EST
AFGHANISTAN – UN – US – AIRSTRIKE – CIVILIANS
Washington, 26 August (IranVNC)—The United Nations said today it has found “convincing evidence” that nearly 90 Afghan civilians were killed in an airstrike by the US-led coalition troops in the western Afghanistan last week, AP reports.
The UN based its claim on the testimony of villagers and Afghan officials. No further evidence has been provided.
The offensive has caused tension between NATO forces and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who denounced the “airstrikes on civilian targets, uncoordinated house searches and illegal detention of Afghan civilians,” AP reports. He also said that the strikes achieved nothing but destruction.
The UN Special Envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide released the statement saying: “Investigations by UNAMA [United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan] found convincing evidence, based on the testimonies of eyewitnesses and others, that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, 15 women, and 15 men,” Reuters reports.
US military officials have said the strike was targeted at a known Taliban commander and was successful in killing 30 insurgents.
The UNAMA has sent a human rights team to continue investigating the site of Friday’s incident, the village of Nawabad in the Shindand district of western Afghanistan.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters
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