Nov. 3, 2016: 30 civilians were killed and 25 wounded in a NATO airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Most of the casualties were women and children as young as three months old. Kunduz civilians told Al Jazeera the death toll was even higher than the figure given by officials. (Photo: Hambastagi.org)
At least 30 civilians, including women, children and babies, have been killed and dozens wounded in a NATO air strike in the northern province of Kunduz, Afghan officials have said.
The air raids on Thursday were in support of US and Afghan forces during an attack targeting senior Taliban commanders, according to provincial spokesman Mahmood Danish.
"Afghan forces and coalition troops conducted a joint operation against the Taliban insurgents. In the bombardment 30 Afghan civilians were martyred and 25 others were wounded," Danish told AFP news agency.
Kunduz civilians told Al Jazeera the death toll was even higher than the figure given by officials.
Afghan officials said on Thursday there had been heavy fighting overnight a few kilometres outside the Kunduz city centre, which Taliban fighters succeeded in entering last month before being driven out.
The target of the joint operation appeared to be two senior Taliban commanders killed in the fighting among 65 fighters, Kunduz police chief General Qasim Jangalbagh told AP news agency.
Al Jazeera's Abdullah Shahood, reporting from Kabul, said that Afghan commandos, supported by NATO forces, descended from helicopters in two locations in Kunduz province, including in the village of Boze Qandahari, about 3km north of Kunduz city.
Nov. 3, 2016: 30 civilians were killed and 25 wounded in a NATO airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Most of the casualties were women and children as young as three months old. Kunduz civilians told Al Jazeera the death toll was even higher than the figure given by officials. (Photo: Hambastagi.org)
Nov. 3, 2016: 30 civilians were killed and 25 wounded in a NATO airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Most of the casualties were women and children as young as three months old. Kunduz civilians told Al Jazeera the death toll was even higher than the figure given by officials. (Photo: Hambastagi.org)
Nov. 3, 2016: 30 civilians were killed and 25 wounded in a NATO airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Most of the casualties were women and children as young as three months old. Kunduz civilians told Al Jazeera the death toll was even higher than the figure given by officials. (Photo: Hambastagi.org)
"The Afghan forces came under fire by the Taliban in the area and that's when the air strikes were called in," Shahood said.
"Most of these casualties are women and children, and they are as young as three months old."
Dr Mohammad Naim Mangal, director of a hospital in Kunduz, said his facility received the bodies of a dead man and a child and treated 30 people, including children, wounded in the fighting.
The civilian deaths sparked angry protests among locals, with relatives rallying with the coffins of the victims to the governor's office.
"They were chanting 'Death to America', 'Death to President [Ashraf] Ghani" and they were [vowing] to take revenge," Shahood said.
"Ordinary people were sleeping in their homes. The Taliban attacked Kunduz and then the bombs came ... All night the airplanes were bombing," a resident said.
"About 50 people died; 40 to 50 people were injured. What did those children do wrong? I want justice for the killers."
The US military said it had conducted the air strikes to protect "friendly forces" in an operation in which two American soldiers were killed.
Nov. 3, 2016: Afghan villagers gather around a victim who was killed during clashes between Taliban and Afghan security forces in Taliban’s controlled village, Buz-e Kandahari village in Kunduz province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo: Najim Rahim/AP)
Nov. 3, 2016: Afghan villagers gather their properties a day after the clashes between Taliban and Afghan security forces in Taliban’s controlled village, Buz-e Kandahari village in Kunduz province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo: Najim Rahim/AP)