Afghan Officials Allege that 65 Civilians Were Killed in U.S. Military Operation
February 21st, 2011Via: Washington Post:
Afghan government officials alleged Sunday that a U.S. military operation in the remote mountains of northeastern Afghanistan killed 65 innocent people, including 22 women and more than 30 children, the most serious allegation of civilian casualties in months.
The governor of Konar province, Fazlullah Wahidi, said that NATO forces launched the operation four days ago in the Ghaziabad district, a desolate area near the province’s northern border with Pakistan, where a lethal mix of insurgent groups operate.
“According to locals in the area, American helicopters have been constantly bombing the village and have caused tremendous civilian casualties,” Wahidi said in an interview. He said he received his information from residents “trapped” in the village.
American commanders went into crisis mode Sunday, launching an investigation into the incident to find out what happened and prevent the episode from damaging relations with the Afghan government.
