Afghans protest against killings of civilians by US

KABUL, Afghanistan

Protesters in Kunduz province took to the streets Friday against the killing of at least seven civilians in an alleged U.S. air strike.

Carrying the bodies, protesters claimed the seven civilians, including two women and a child, were killed Thursday in the Dasht-e-Archi district as they were returning from a funeral.

In a social media post, the leader of the Hezb-e Islami party, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's son, Habibur Rehman, claimed the slain civilians were maternal relatives.

“We are aware of the reports of civilian casualties reported to have occurred in Dasht-e-Archi district or Imam Sahib district, Kunduz Province, on Jan. 30,” U.S. military command in Afghanistan said in a statement. “We are looking into these reports and will provide more information when it becomes available.”

The head of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, Shaharzad Akbar, expressed concerns.

''We are aware of the reports of civilian casualties reported to have occurred in Dasht-e-Archi district or Imam Sahib district, Kunduz Province, on Jan. 30. We are looking into these reports and will provide more information when it becomes available,” she said.