Afghans, ISAF differ over two killed in Laghman

MEHTARLAM (PAN) troops differed over two people killed during an airstrike in the Alingar district of eastern Laghman province on Wednesday night.

Local officials and residents said the two killed were farmers and were killed by foreign troops while irrigating their fields in the Wat Jabbar village.  ISAF insists the dead were armed militants.

The district chief, Syed Mohammad Sharif, on Wednesday said the helicopter-borne foreign troops raided the house of a farmer, Sher Mohammad Sahibzada, killing his two sons, Mohammad Aziz and Abdul Qahir.

The raid came after rumours that one of Sahibzada’s sons had links with the Taliban, the official said.

Sharif on Thursday said the matter had been taken up with the provincial intelligence department. He said intelligence operatives had told him the two were not on the list of wanted individuals.

Abdul Aziz Khan, who is also resident of the district, said that foreign troops had killed two farmers, who had no relation with the Taliban.

But ISAF said the dead were involved in attacks on Afghan and foreign troops. The two were chased and killed while hiding under a tree, the force said in a statement. It further said the men had arms when they were killed.

Provincial police chief Aziz Gharni also said the killed were armed militants.

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