Local residents blocked the main road of Puli Khumri in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province on Tuesday, as they gathered to protest the airstrike that killed seven civilians, including one infant, earlier in the day.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed that the airstrike had been carried out with the goal of “suppression of the enemies of peace and stability in the region,” and that a civilian’s home was “tragically” destroyed and seven family members killed.
Hokom Khan, one of the protesters said “the foreigner bombarded so far from the front line of the battlefield. Why bombard there? We demand that the Afghan government prevent the killing of Afghan civilians. We are protesting here to condemn and to protect our rights. If this action is repeated again we are obliged to stand against the government.”
Basir Ahmad Basim, the governor of Baghlan province, confirmed that seven family members were killed in the strikes and added that “at least 10 Taliban militants, which were sheltered around this house, have been killed by the airstrikes.”
“The airstrikes were led by NATO forces, but the details are not specific yet, we must investigate this case,” Basim added.
Ruptly has requested a comment on the attack from NATO Resolute Support office in Afghanistan but hasn’t received any response yet.