ISTANBUL (AA): More than a dozen civilians were killed in northernAfghanistan by U.S.-led airstrikes, the UN announced on Monday.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that an airstrikeconducted by international coalition forces on Friday night in thenortheast of the country killed 13 civilians and injured three more.
The body indicated that 10 of those killed were the children of a singlefamily that had been displaced by violence elsewhere in the country.
“Armed dissidents entered several dwellings in the urban center of Kunduzand used civilians as human shields,” Governor Ismet Muradi told AnadoluAgency on the latest strikes.
Muradi said 58 armed opposition members — 11 of them holding seniorpositions — were killed in the attacks and that injured 15 others, addingthat women and small children were also among the dead.
Debra Richardson, spokeswoman for the NATO-led mission Resolute Supportheld the Taliban responsible for the deaths, telling reporters that membersof the organization took shelter in the surrounding houses withoutconsidering damage to civilians.
Afghan media reported that locals protested the killing of women andchildren during the funeral of the civilians.
The alliance announced in a written statement that the strikes were held inresponse to the killing of two U.S. soldiers by opposition fighters.
On Monday, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC)condemned the civilian deaths, expressing deep concern on the increase incivilian casualties.
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“Targeting civilians and their homes is a clear violation of human rights,and is explicitly contrary to the provisions of International Conventionson human rights, IHL, National laws and the holy religion of Islam,” AIHRCsaid in a written statement.
It called on opposition groups not to use civilians and their homes ashuman shields, and to “comprehensively respect the human rights of citizensand international humanitarian law’s provisions.”
According to UNAMA, 2017 saw the highest number of civilian casualties fromairstrikes since it began documenting such incidents in 2009.
More than 3,000 civilians lost their lives with over 7,000 wounded incoalition airstrikes led by the U.S., as well as in attacks by the Talibanand Daesh.
One in three killed in blasts in the war-ravaged country were younger than18, said Patricia Gossman, senior researcher on Afghanistan in an articlepublished by the Human Rights Watch.
Gossman said the U.S. military played a “crucial role” in all aspects ofAfghan air operations, and that it was the sole provider of training to theAfghan air force.
