Hundreds of Afghan protesters took to the streets Sunday in protest over a US raid they said led to the deaths of at least two civilians, the latest in a string to US raids which have killed a large number of innocent civilians.
During the US raid in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan, soldiers forced their way into a home, killing two occupants. The military claimed that both were militants and that they ordered everyone out of the home before the attacks. Villagers insist as many as six civilians were killed in the operation. Another woman, whom the US termed a “noncombatant” was also injured when she was bitten by a military dog.
The US has killed dozens of civilians in raids in the past few weeks, prompting Afghan President Hamid Karzai to issue an ultimatum to NATO: agree to stop killing civilians by February 10 or they will seek a referendum on the presence of foreign forces. The threat was likely somewhat muted by the Afghan Election Commission delaying the upcoming elections, insisting the situation in the nation is too unstable even to attempt a vote.