NATO examines civilian casualty claims in Kunar

KABUL) on Monday said it was investigating media claims of possible civilian causalities from a military operation in eastern Kunar province.

The force said in a statement that it had learned of local media reports saying its forces killed at least one civilian in Ghaziabad district on Sunday. Some reports said one boy was killed, while others reported that five women died.

It said a NATO outpost fired Sunday on four individuals at a position from which they had previously been attacked.

The individuals were armed and in camouflage. The troops watched the group and decided they were about to attack, and so fired on the position. 

The outpost declared an imminent threat and after gaining positive identification of the armed individuals, the outpost engaged them and killed them. 

Approximately one hour after the engagement, the outpost observed individuals at the impact site removing objects. 

 “The varying claims of civilian casualties around this incident are the reason ISAF is looking into this,” said US Army Col. Hans E. Bush, chief of ISAF Joint Command Public Affairs.

“We go to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties, we do not want to be responsible for the loss of a single innocent life and that is why we continually look into these allegations, so we can find ways to prevent them in the future.”

pr/ma

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