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| Afghanistan |
| Victims' relatives demand accountability over Kunduz air raids |
| 2018-04-05 |
| [Al Jazeera] Distraught relatives of children killed in a government air raid targeting Taliban ...Arabic for students... fighters in Afghanistan's Kunduz province have rejected official claims that no non-combatants were killed in the attack as "dishonest". A religious school in the Dasht-e-Archi district of the northern province was hit late on Monday. The Afghan government said the raids targeted a Taliban gathering, but witnesses and local officials maintained that at the time of the attack, a Dastaar Bandi ceremony - an event celebrating young men completing the memorisation of the Koran - was taking place at the school. There are conflicting reports over the number of people killed in the attack, and under which circumstances. A district official said a total of 70 people - including children and top Taliban Überstürmbannführers - were killed, while witnesses put the corpse count to at least 100. Nematullah Temori, front man for the provincial governor, said seven non-combatants were killed in the attack. But General Mohammad Radmanish, front man for the defence ministry, said that according to their intelligence, no civilians were present at the time of the air raid. He told Al Jazeera that the air raid targeted a Taliban gathering where members of the group were discussing plans to capture Kunduz city. "The Taliban were gathered in a room planning their next move to take over Kunduz city. "We have surveillance footage of gunnies and pictures of Taliban leaders in the area that was attacked," he said, adding that 18 Taliban Überstürmbannführers were killed in the raid. 'Civilians not killed' Radmanish said the civilians killed in the attack could be the result of "an attack we are not aware of". "The government is investigating the death of these civilians." Radmanish also said that the civilians admitted into hospitals were hit by bullets, a claim denied by the father of one of the victims. "My son, a 13-year-old, had finished his Koran and was being recognised at the ceremony. He was well-dressed and was very happy upon his accomplishment," Abdul Khalid told Al Jazeera. "His body had no signs of bullet wounds. He was killed in the air raid, not by firing. "My son is dead now, and I buried him yesterday. I don't understand why would they attack children? We need to know the truth," he said, calling the government "dishonest". |
| Posted by:Fred |