While a provincial official said at least thirteen civilians have been killed in the NATO air raid, the head of Wardak’s provincial council said thirteen others have been injured as a result. However, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by NATO confirmed that it bombed a position of insurgents. They added that there was no evidence that any civilians have died.
It is reported that it’s difficult to establish if the claims of civilian deaths are accurate or not. In addition, it says that the deaths of civilians have increased in Afghanistan as conflict has become worse. Alastair Leithead of BBC says that the reported civilian deaths are remote and hostile. Within twenty-four hours, the bodies of the dead civilians are burned.
Leithead says that it’s vital for the NATO mission in Afghanistan that civilian deaths in counter-insurgency operations must be avoided. President Hamid Karzai had told foreign troops to be more careful in the battle against the Taliban and its allies. That would mean, avoid civilian casualties.
It is said that amongst the thirteen civilians killed, eleven of them had come from one family from what the locals told the Wardak provincial council head Haji Hazrat Janan. He adds that the only survivor of the family is a man who is hospitalized at the moment and cannot speak a word.
A spokesman for the ISAF said that they were targeting a known insurgent position. This was from evidence saying that insurgents were planning to ambush ISAF troops.
Of all of Afghanistan, the worst fighting comes from both the south and the east.