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Thirty Civilians Killed in U.S. Raids on Eastern Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - At least 30 Afghan civilians were killed Sunday as U.S. planes launched pre-dawn air strikes on the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Qari Abdul Salam, who is in charge of the new provincial administration, told the Pakistan-based AIP news service that U.S. planes targeted Shamshad, five miles (eight kilometers) from the border with Pakistan.
AIP said the jets raided the post before dawn and came again for a second attack when people from the adjoining villages were engaged in the rescue operation.
The Pakistan-based news agency said Sunday's casualties were the first since the Taliban lost control of Nangarhar and a new administration took control of the province.
Seven people with serious injuries were brought to a hospital run by Pakistan's private Edhi Welfare Trust in Torkham, where one died later, said AFP.
Imtiaz Hussain, administrator of the Edhi Hospital said the victims who were brought in reported the area had been bombed.
"I don't know how many people died, but it is likely there are many casualties," Hussain said. "I think the Americans are targeting the remaining Taliban checkpoints, ammunition and arms depots."
Six others have been transported to a government hospital in the nearby town of Landi Kotal, Hussain added.
The U.S. raids, which left many civilians wounded, were the heaviest since the launch of the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan.
Local tribal chiefs had taken over control of Ningrahar from Taliban forces several days ago. Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar, which is in eastern Afghanistan near Peshawar, Pakistan.
Abdul Salam said the U.S. jets struck Shamshad following morning prayers, reported Iran's official news agency IRNA.
After the first bombing, people from a neighboring village came to Shamshad for rescue and recovery efforts, but it came under two more attacks.
Reports confirmed that most of the casualties were young people.
It was the first U.S. bombardment of the area after local commanders took it over from the Taliban.
A religious council decided Saturday to appoint former Jihadi commander Haji Abdul Qadeer as governor of Nangarhar.
The Pashtun leader is a former governor of the province and belongs to the Hizb-i Islami group.
Shamshad was a strategic center for Mujahideen commanders when they waged their long resistance war against the Soviet occupation.
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