Children killed in Afghan offensive
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 At least 10 Afghan civilians, mostly school children, have been killed in military operations by international forces in the east of the country, the office of Hamid Karzai, the president, has said.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday in a remote part of Kunar province on the border with Pakistan, the statement added.
"Initial reports indicate that in a series of operations by international forces in Kunar province... 10 civilians, eight of them school students, have been killed," the statement from Karzai's office said on Monday.
"It is a very rugged area, we cannot go there because of the presence of the Taliban," Sayed Fazlullah Wahedi, the Kunar state governor, said.
Karzai's office said that it would hold an investigation into the incident.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/12/200912281348623886.htmlInteresting that it is the Karzai regime that is the source for this story.
On edit:
Afghanistan children killed 'during Western operation'
An unnamed Western official told AFP that US special forces had been conducting operations in the area, close to the border with Pakistan, and had killed and captured "a lot of Taliban". He said the operations were being carried out independently of the Nato-led and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
RemoteCivilian deaths at the hands of foreign troops have led to widespread anger among Afghans.
Mr Karzai has previously said such deaths are damaging to the fight against militancy.
The BBC's Peter Greste in Kabul says Kunar province is remote, snowbound and dominated by the Taliban, so the investigation into Saturday's alleged incident will be difficult.
But if the civilians deaths are confirmed, it will be a blow to Gen Stanley McChrystal, the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, who has vowed to limit such casualties, says our correspondent. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8432653.stm