Sunday, May 29 -According to local authorities in southern Afghanistan, at least 14 civilians have been killed following an air strike in southern Afghanistan.
According to a statement of provincial governor’s office, the incident took place when US Marines in Nawzad district, Helmand province called in air support in response to the arms fire from the insurgents.
The statement further added that two civilian houses were targeted during the air strike which resulted in death of 14 civilians and 6 other civilians were injured.
According to the statement, five girls, seven boys and two women were among those killed in the strike.
Major Tim James, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has told to AFP, “ISAF are aware of the reports that civilians were allegedly killed in an ISAF air strike”.
“(The) Regional Command South West has sent a joint assessment team to the area to look into the allegation and they will issue their findings to the press.”
Civilian casualties in military operations are a highly sensitive issue in Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly called on foreign forces to do more to prevent them.
There are around 130,000 Nato-led foreign troops in Afghanistan, fighting a Taliban-led insurgency since the 2001 invasion brought down their Islamist regime in Kabul.
