Afghan Governor: NATO Kills Five Civilians in Northeast

NATO 'Aware' of Operation

Kunar Province Governor Sayed Fazelullah Wahidi is reporting that an overnight raid by NATO forces on Monday has killed at least five civilians, including a woman and two children. The raid was part of a “kill-and-capture” operation in the Chawkay District.

NATO said it was “aware” of the operation and was looking into the report of civilian deaths. The governor said NATO attack helicopters fired into the civilians’ home, allegedly targeting a pair of militants who were hiding inside, but killed the residents as well.

Night raids by NATO forces have been hugely controversial across Afghanistan, particularly for the number of times innocent people’s homes were mistakenly targeted. The number of raids “gone wrong,” has left large civilian tolls.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly demanded that NATO halt the policy of night raids, saying that Afghan civilians no longer feel safe in their own homes if occupation forces can burst in during the night. The US has rejected the calls, insisting that they don’t require Karzai’s permission.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, 13 people were killed in the southern Helmand Province in a pair of Taliban attacks. NATO reports that some of the wounded were NATO soldiers, and at least five of the slain were Afghan officials.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.