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KABUL: At least 13 civilians embraced martyrdom after their villages came under air pummel in northern Kunduz province, resident claimed on Saturday, saying Afghan and foreign forces carried out the airstrike.
It was around 01:00am Friday night when a plane came and
bombed areas in Taloka and Tap-e-Khowak Pak villages on the outskirts of Kunduz
city that martyred 13 members of a single family, the residents said.
“The forces only targeted civilians,” another resident
claimed. “We want to know that why they target the people while they know
Taliban’s place,” TOLONews reported.
The residents said they wanted to take the bodies to the governor’s office but
they were not allowed by security forces.
“At the moment, we have 13 martyrs, all of them all civilians including
children and women. You can see that what foreign and local forces brought to
our people,” a relative of the victims said on condition of anonymity.
One member of Kunduz Provincial Council, meanwhile, called on government to
address the issue.
“Those who lived in the area have been displaced from Dasht-e-Archi district
(in Kunduz). The 13 victims were members two families,” said Mawlawi Khosh
Mohammad, member of Kunduz Provincial Council.
Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement said that at least 58 Taliban
insurgents including their commanders were killed during a joint airstrike in
northern provinces.
According to the statement, four commando soldiers lost their lives and five
others were wounded during the operations.
The statement did not mention civilian casualties in the operations.
Meanwhile, a Resolute Support spokesperson said Taliban are hiding their casualties by accusing ANDSF and coalition of causing civilian casualties.
“Afghan security forces, accompanied by a small advisory team, conducted an operation near Kunduz City. The villagers around Kunduz City requested support from the Afghan security forces to stop the Taliban fighters from extorting taxes, shelter and food from the local populace,” SFC Debra Richardson, a Resolute Support spokeswoman, said in a statement.
