NATO airstrike kills four Afghan civilians
A US-led NATO airstrike carried out by French troops has claimed the lives of four Afghan civilians, including children.
The airstrike targeted Kapisa’s Tagab district, leaving another four people injured. The attack comes less than two weeks after another US-led strike killed eight Afghan civilians in the same province. The victims were reportedly bombed twice while herding sheep in the snow.
Afghans have been holding almost six consecutive days of rallies against US-led forces in Afghanistan and the recent desecration of the holy Quran by US troops.
On February 4, the United Nations announced that last year was the deadliest year on record for Afghan civilians. The number of deaths marked a rise of eight percent from the previous year, and was roughly double the number from 2007. Thousands of civilians, including women and children, have been killed as a result of the war. The US-led invasion of Afghanistan took place in 2001. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan, despite the presence of thousands of US-led troops there.