Probe: Wednesday US Air Strikes Killed 14 Afghan Civilians

NATO Still Sticking to Initial Claim of Two Civilians

The delegation of Afghan officials, including many MPs, sent to investigate the pre-dawn Wednesday US air strikes in Parwan Province have put the death toll at 14 civilians.

The initial reports from locals said the strike destroyed a house, killing eight civilians within. The probe found more deaths in the surrounding area, noting the US attacks began Tuesday night at 10 pm and continued into the early morning.

NATO’s own initial report claimed two civilians were killed, and they’re sticking to that story, saying the other people slain were members of the Haqqani network. Since many of them were small children, that position is likely to eventually be revised.

President Hamid Karzai condemned the civilian deaths, reiterating demands that the US halt air strikes against residential areas. The US has not directly addressed the killings, and seems to be letting NATO handle the fallout.

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.