An airstrike against Paktika Province in southeastern Afghanistan killed at least 10 civilians, according to Afghan and provincial officials. The provincial governor has promised an investigation into the matter.
The attack was launched very close to the border with Pakistan. Among the killed were both women and children, according to officials, and government spokesmen say they believe four “insurgents” may also have been killed.
Even though the strike was carried out on Saturday, there is still little specific information by Sunday night. The Taliban has not commented on casualties, nor have officials even said who carried out the airstrike in the first place.
The overwhelming majority of the airstrikes in Afghanistan are conducted by the US and its allies. The Afghan government, however, has its own growing air force, and the fact that they emphasized unnamed “insurgents” were also killed may be them trying to lay out a justification for eventually admitting to the attack themselves.