[Editor's Note: Fighting between NATO-led forces and the Taliban has been escalating in eastern Afghanistan. Last week The Wakht New Agency 's reporter in the region witnessed the fighting and its aftermath. He filed this eyewitness report.]
[MAHTARLAM] At least 24 civilians, including women and children, were killed during a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) raid in the mountainous areas of Mahtarlam, capital of Eastern Laghman province, according to local residents.
The NATO operation, which started in the Spira Kondai area of Sorobi District of Kabul Province last week, extended to the Garoch, Mandaroro, Badpakh and Shagiliani areas of the Eastern Province.
The operation took place in response to intelligence gathered following a recent attack by Taliban-linked fighters on ISAF in the area, which claimed the lives of 10 French soldiers and left more than 20 wounded.
The exchange of fire between the two sides also left 27 Taliban dead and two Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers wounded.
However, there are reports from three medical facilities in Garoch, Badpakh, and Mehtarlam that 37 civilians are being treated for wounds sustained in the attack.
Jahanzan, 45, a female resident of Garoch hospitalized at Mehtarlam Public Hospital for the treatment of her injuries told The Wakht News Agency that she had lost 12 members of her family.
“They were asleep when the intense bombardment started and hit their homes,” she said.
Only one elderly member of her family, Hajji Hussain, survived the attack.
Gullaba, 10, who sustained serious wounds to her feet told The Wakht: “We were asleep, explosions started, and I lost all my family members in the raid.”
Garoch resident Abdullah told The News Agency that he had lost 10 family members, including six children, three women and an old man. His wife, mother-in-law, and two of his sisters-in-law died in the attack, he said.
“By Wednesday evening I buried 18 people, and maybe the number of civilian losses will be more due to the complete destruction of 210 homes in the air raid,” he added.
The Wakht News Agency reporter counted 22 people killed, based on the information provided by eyewitnesses.
Another eyewitness said one person died on the way to hospital and another died in hospital, raising the number of civilian losses to 24.
According to local sources, the air raid started at 3:30 a.m. on August 20 and continued until 1:00 p.m.
An elder, Malik Hazrat Gul, from Garoch told the Wakht that NATO raided a house belonging to Hajji Qadir, whose occupants were preparing for a wedding party there.
“Eighteen civilians were buried and 33 others were transferred to the hospital in the city and other health facilities nearby,” Malik said.
At least 205 homes were completely destroyed in the attack and around 300 cattle were killed, he added.
“Three of the nine villages of Garoch were destroyed, and we don’t have updated information on those who escaped to mountains.”
Malik invited the national and international media to view the mass graves of women, children and elderly people.
“Were they Taliban insurgents or terrorists?” he asked angrily.
He also criticized Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who he said remained silent in the face of these “injustices to the people. No one is going to hear our voices.”
Naqibullah, another village elder, also confirmed the civilian casualties in the bombardment.
Elder Hajji Gulzar, who accompanied 50 young volunteers, told The Wakht News Agency that, “We are working to provide blood donations for the 24 wounded people receiving treatment at Laghman Public Hospital.”
Col. Abdul Karim Omeryar, police chief of the province, said he was unaware of the civilian casualties.
An Afghani spokesman at the NATO base in Laghman province also rejected the claims of civilian casualties.
NATO claimed in a statement that it had killed 30 Taliban in the operation.
However, local Taliban commander Mufti Omer Khetab told the Wakht that his fighters had shelled the coalition forces and ANA, while they were operating in the area.
All the dead were civilians and Taliban had not suffered any casualties during the air raid, he said.
There are grave concerns among the authorities and local Afghans regarding the rise in civilian casualties in the air raids by NATO-led coalition forces.
On July 6, in the village of Khetai in Haskamena District of Nangarhar Province in Eastern Afghanistan, 50 members of a wedding party were killed, including the bride, during a bombing raid by coalition forces.
The incident occurred when the bridal party was making its way to the groom’s house.
The Afghan government launched an investigation into the incident, sending a commission of inquiry to look into the locals’ claims.
The Afghan authorities and local Afghans blamed coalition forces for operating on their own without any coordination with local officials.
However, some Afghan experts blame local Afghan interpreters who lack the local knowledge and languages, and provide inaccurate information to foreign forces in Afghanistan.
This leads the coalition forces to target innocent civilians in their air strikes, they said.
By Naqibullah Taib and Tahir Safai on Sunday, August 24, 2008