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MoD probes claims of civilian casualties in Kandahar airstrike
The Afghan security forces Saturday conducted an airstrike in Arghandab district of southern Kandahar province, aimed at targeting a Taliban gathering in the area.
There are however conflicting reports about casualties resulting from the air raid.
Local residents stated that at least seven members of a family were killed in the airstrike while the Taliban claimed that at least 13 civilians including children were killed in the raid.
The relatives of the family, however, told Ariana News that 11 people – including seven children, two women, and two men – were killed in the airstrike.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement that it would investigate the claims of civilian casualties in the airstrike.
“A joint delegation from the 205 Atal Corps, Kandahar Police Headquarters, and Arghandab local officials is probing the issue,” the statement read.
“Protecting the lives and property of civilians is a top priority for the Defense and Security entities,” the MoD noted.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has strongly condemned an airstrike in Kandahar’s Arghandab district that reportedly killed 7 members of a family, including children, & said it was a crime against humanity.
President Karzai said the only way to save the country from the current crisis is for the intra-Afghan peace talks to be successful.
This comes after heavy clashes, which are still ongoing, in several districts including Zheri, Arghandab, Maiwand, and Shah Walikut in the past month.
Officials stated, so far, 6,500 people have been displaced due to the ongoing clashes between the Afghan forces and the insurgents.
The MoD stated that the Taliban stormed outposts of Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) in Dand, Zheri, Arghandab, Maiwand, and Shah Walikut but faced resistance by Afghan forces.
At least 51 Taliban fighters were killed and nine others wounded in the skirmishes, the MoD added.
The Taliban has not made any comment in this regard.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday in Tehran during an official visit.
According to Iranian media reports, the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations, recent regional developments, and issues of mutual interest.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has inspected the construction work of the second lane of the Kabul–Jalalabad highway, Arg said on Thursday.
According to Arg’s statement , the Prime Minister visited the project site earlier in the day and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry of Public Works, project officials, and private contracting companies involved in the construction process. He also issued directives for the timely and high-quality completion of the project.
Akhund said the completion of the highway would significantly improve transportation facilities, transit operations, passenger movement, and contribute to economic growth in the surrounding regions.
Officials report that construction work on the second section of the project, covering 32 kilometers from the Kabul side, is currently about 20 percent complete.
Meanwhile, work on the first 22-kilometer section from the Nangarhar side is also ongoing. Surveying and design work for the third section is being carried out by a private company, with construction expected to begin after completion of the preparatory phase.
The Kabul–Jalalabad second-lane highway is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s key transport and economic infrastructure projects and is being developed in three phases.
Senior officials from the foreign ministries of Afghanistan and Russia held consultations in Kabul, focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening regional engagement involving Afghanistan.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the meeting was held between A.V. Pavlovsky, Director of the Second Asia Department of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Abdul Hai Qanit, Director of the Third Political Department at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two sides discussed cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fields, as well as ways to strengthen regional interaction with Afghanistan’s participation.
The consultations underscore ongoing diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Kabul as the two countries continue to explore closer cooperation on regional and bilateral issues.
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