The Afghan government is investigating reports that an alleged overnight airstrike on Saturday killed 18 civilians, including women and children, in Khash Rod district of Nimroz province, according to a statement by Afghan Ministry of Defense.
The ministry added in the statement that as many as nine “Pakistani terrorists” and five Taliban fighters were killed and another five “local” Taliban fighters were wounded after Afghan Air Forces carried out an air raid on a Taliban hideout in Khashrod district.
The ministry said it was investigating allegations of civilian casualties in the raid.
On Sunday, Nasir Ahmad Haibat, a provincial health official, claimed initial reports indicated that at least 18 civilians were killed and many others wounded in an overnight air strike in Khash Rod district of southwestern Nimroz province.
There were women and children among the dead and wounded, he added.
Rahmatullah Omari, spokesman for the provincial governor, also confirmed the air strike, adding a delegation was sent at the scene to further probe into the incident.
Witnesses and the wounded people claim the airstrike was carried out by Afghan forces.
Intensified hostilities have been inflicting heavy casualties on combatants from both sides even as the negotiating representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban have gathered in Doha to push for bringing the war of Afghanistan to an end.
Afghan government’s peace negotiation team met with the Taliban representatives Saturday this week to resume peace talks with the Taliban after a three-week break.
In the first round of talks which lasted for three months, negotiators from the two sides agreed on a code of conduct for the talks.
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