KABUL – The US Forces in Afghanistan rejected the reports suggesting that adrone strike in eastern Nuristan province has left at least eleven peopledead, including six civilians.
Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman, said “U.S.forces did not conduct a strike in Nuristan province on Monday night. Wehave, however, received reports of insurgent-caused civilian casualties intwo separate insurgent attacks in eastern Afghanistan, Monday – a mortarattack on a medical clinic in Andar district, Ghazni province that killed apharmacist and injured clinic staff, and a suicide attack that targeted agathering of local police and civilians in Sawkai (Chawkay) district, Kunarprovince, killing and injuring an unknown number of both.
These deplorable acts by the enemies of Afghanistan further demonstratetheir disregard for the Afghan people, whose calls for peace and anextension to the cease-fire were rejected yesterday by the Taliban.”
This comes as provincial governor Hafiz Abdul Qayum had earlier told TheAssociated Press that the US forces in Afghanistan conducted an airstrikeusing unmanned aerial vehicles in Waygal district.
Qayum further added that the airstrike targeted a house where a number ofTaliban militants and local residents had gathered to visit a Taliban groupmember who was wounded in a separate attack.
According to Qayum, at least six civilians and five Taliban insurgents werekilled in the Monday night airstrike in Waygal district.
Nuristan is among the relatively volatile provinces in East of Afghanistanwhere Taliban and militants belonging to the other groups are activelyoperating in some of its remote districts and often carry out terroristrelated activities.
The latest airstrike in Nuristan province has been carried out amid ongoingoperations to suppress the activities of the militant and terrorist groupsin the country.