Fourteen civilians, including children, were killed and two womenwere wounded during an operation by special forces in Rodat district of eastern Nangarhar province, sources said Wednesday.
A credible source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the 02 Special Forces unit conducted the operation in the district on Tuesday night. Fourteen civilians were killed in the raid, he said.
He said angry residents of the area held a protest rally and closed the Jalalabad-Torkham highway against traffic for four hours.
The protesters chanted slogans “death to America and long live Islam” and urged a probe into the incident.
A four-month-old child was also among the dead and according to local residents the child was killed on his mother’s lap.
According to local residents, the raid in Shahidan Township took place on Tuesday midnight.
Baratullah, a tribal elder of the area, said the forces raided three houses and killed and wounded 16 civilians including women and children.
Subhanullah, whose family’s eight members were killed and a woman wounded in the raid, he was crying. “Whom should I ask for this.”
Abdul Jabar, a protester, confirmed all the victims were civilians and said two of them were laborers.
Deputy police chief, Col. Ghulam Mujabi Qais told reporters at the raid site that 11 civilians had been killed and that an investigation was underway and more details would be shared later.
Attaullah Khogyani, the governor’s spokesman, confirmed to Pajhwok the raid and the casualties and said a government delegation had arrived at the area.
A source in the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the raid was conducted to arrest Qudratullah, a Daesh bomb organizer, financial in-charge Sharif and some other terrorists.
The source said Qudratullah Farid and Sherzaman who were Daesh members were killed along with 11 members of their families and six others were captured alive.
Mualvi Habibullah Jalalabadi, a member of the government investigative delegation, confirmed the victims were civilians, including children.
