As it was agreed upon to reduce civilian causalities in intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha, pro-government forces killed at least 11 noncombatants, mostly children, in Baghlan and Wardak provinces on Monday night.
Some residents of northern Baghlan province on Tuesday blocked the northern highway for traffic to protest the killing of seven members of a family in an airstrike.
The angry protesting residents carried the victims’ bodies, gathered on the road and chanted slogans as: “Death on Ahsraf Ghani, foreign and Afghan forces.”
Ahmadullah (not real name), one of the protestors, told Pajhwok Afghan News that drone strike targeted Ismael’s house, killing his wife and six children.
He added: “We have brought the victims’ bodies and blocked the highway to protest the killing of innocent people, but security forces arrived in the air and conducted aerial firing to disrupt the protest. One protester was injured as a result of firing.”
Governor Farid Ahmad Basim confirmed that seven members of a family were killed. He said it was yet to be ascertained who had carried out the airstrike.
In a separate incident in central Wardak province two doctors and as many staff members of a hospital were killed Monday night during a security forces operation in Daimirdad district, officials and residents confirmed.
A government official, who wished to go unnamed, told Pajhwok Afghan News that six Taliban militants had also been killed in the same operation and two others, including a doctor, detained.
Rahmatullah, a resident of the area, told Pajhwok that security forces carried out the operation in Tangai Saidan area late Monday night. He said two doctors and as many hospital personnel were killed in the nighttime raid.
He further added that security forces also arrested a doctor named Waheedullah along with another person.
However, another official said six militants had been killed in the operation.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense in a statement said civilians causalities would be investigated in Maidan Wardak province.
This comes as attendees of intra-Afghan dialogue, including Taliban representatives, in Doha, the capital of Qatar, agreed to reduce civilian casualties in Afghan conflict. Taliban agreed to reduce violence by stopping attacks on “religious centers, schools, hospitals, educational centers, bazaars, water dams and workplaces”.
