Afghanistan: UN report claims mass air raid casualties
UN says Air Force raid in Kunduz claimed at least 36 lives, wounded 71 more; no government response yet
By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL, Afghanistan
Largely confirming a Taliban claim of mass civilian casualties, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday claimed 107 casualties (36 killed and 71 injured) from a government air raid last month.
Days after Afghan forces’ April 2 raid on a religious school in the Dasht-e-Archi district of the Kunduz province, UNAMA announced it would investigate the matter. In its findings released today, it said there were at least 81 children among the victims, besides additional “credible information” indicating a higher death toll.
The fact-finding mission claimed government forces also used rockets and heavy machine gun fire on and around a religious gathering, killing and injuring civilians, the majority of whom were children.
After the incident, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed tweeted that at least 150 people, including religious scholars and children, had been killed.
Though the Afghan Defense Ministry claimed the Air Force raids had killed 15 Taliban terrorists, including member of the Quetta Shura -- a Pakistan-based powerful Taliban council -- Mawlawi Baryal, and that 10 others were wounded, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani ordered an investigation.
The Taliban had cited this raid as one of the reasons for continuing to fight and announce fresh spring offensives.
As yet the government has issued no response to the UN report.
