Afghan air attack ‘kills kids’ at Kunduz non secular college

Dozens of civilians, along side kids, were killed in an Afghan air attack on a gathering at a non secular college in the northern province of Kunduz, eyewitnesses and officials said.

A non secular college in the Dasht-e-Achin district of the Kunduz province used to be centered by air strikes late on Sunday, ensuing in the demise of at the least 70 members, along side high Taliban commanders, a district official knowledgeable Al Jazeera on the location of anonymity on story of he’s no longer authorised to sing to media.

Defense Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Radmanish, knowledgeable Al Jazeera that the airstrike used to be geared toward « high Taliban commanders ».

« The airstrike killed more than 30 Taliban opponents, along side 9 commanders, » he said. « The Taliban practicing centre used to be bombed and no civilians were unusual. »

The Taliban denied its opponents were unusual at the faculty for the length of the time of the attack. 

‘I am no longer a terrorist’

Witnesses knowledgeable Al Jazeera that the gathering incorporated « hundreds of civilians » and the households of these killed in the attack « were devastated ».

« There were kids as young as 11 or 12 years feeble in the ceremony who were to be presented with awards and items for the completion of their non secular classes, » Mohammed Abdul Haq, who witnessed the attack, knowledgeable Al Jazeera. 

« Moms are wailing and crying exterior the hospitals for the demise of their kids and every person appears crying with them, » he added. 

Thoroughly different witnesses knowledgeable Al Jazeera that more than one hundred members were killed in the attack. 

« I used to be working in my farm after I heard helicopters and jets bombing the madrassa (non secular college) where the Taliban were gathered alongside contemporary Qaris (these who recollections the 30 chapters of the Quran) to recognise them with awards, » Haji Ghulam, a look, knowledgeable Al Jazeera. 

« The Taliban are active in the enviornment, however in the ceremony used to be attended mostly by kids and young boys. »

Haji said when he went nearer to the enviornment, there were many kids who were killed and wounded.

« It used to be a catastrophe. Blood in every single put, » he said, along side that the different of americans killed were « many ».

Photos circulating on social media showed a different of kids who said to were killed, accompanied by the phrase: « I am no longer a terrorist. » Al Jazeera may perchance presumably well well no longer independently take a look at the photographs. 

The Taliban, in a assertion despatched to Al Jazeera, said the air strike killed around one hundred fifty non secular students and civilians, mostly kids, were among the many unnecessary and wounded.

The community denied its opponents were at the faculty.

These kids in #Kunduz were presupposed to be graduating this day for memorising the #Quran & receive their items. As an different they recieved a bomb from an Afghan militia helicopter. eighty college students/students/folks were killed!

That is NOT #WarOnTerror, or no longer it is #WarOfTerror!#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/cDNbeghoLi

— زاهد أختر (@AHudhayfah) April 2, 2018

UN to probe attack

United International locations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said on Twitter that a human rights group on floor will investigate the incident.

« UNAMA actively taking a discover about in to traumatic experiences of severe hurt to civilians the day outdated to this from airstrike at #DashtiArchi, #Kunduz. Human Rights group on floor setting up details. All events reminded of obligations to present protection to civilians from affect of armed conflict. » the tweet said.

Afghanistan’s air force, backed by US-led NATO coalition advisers, has accelerated ariel raids in the nation in most modern months to push the Taliban to the negotiating table, nonetheless, civilians have reportedly been killed in numerous incidents.

Earlier this month, a unit of the Afghan security and intelligence forces applied a lethal raid in two villages in the Chaparhar district of Nangarhar province, that resulted in the demise of seven farmers, along side two kids.

Afghan officials replied to the raid asserting the members killed in the attack were Taliban opponents.

On January 31, Afghan special forces backed by US air raids launched an offensive in opposition to Taliban opponents in the Maiwand district in Kandahar, primarily based fully on a Human Rights Learn characterize, released in February. 

As a minimal 20 civilians were killed in the operation, the characterize said.