Australian troops kill two Afghan children
Saturday, March 2nd, 2013 6:58:09 by Tahir Khan
Australian troops have killed two Afghan children in Oruzgan province in another incident of civilian deaths by the invading troops, Afghan officials said Saturday.
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan in firing by invading forces are common despite Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s orders to stop Afghan forces from calling air support from foreign forces.
Oruzgan governor Amir Muhammad Akhundzada confirms the killing of two minor children by the Australian troops.
Locals said that the Australian troops opened fire on the children and also killed cattle heads.
The International Security Assistance Force in Kabul has confirmed the incident.
On Friday night Australian media had also reported that the deaths of two children took place in Shahid-e-Hassas district, north-west of Tarin Kowt.
The Australian Defence Department has confirmed it is investigating an ”operational incident” in north-west Oruzgan, but has provided no further detail except to say ”there are no Australian Defence Force casualties”.
“It is with deep regret that the International Security Assistance Force announces that its forces were responsible for the unintended death of two young Afghan civilians during an operation Feb. 28 in Shahid-e Hasas District, Uruzgan Province,” the ISAF said Saturday.
“I offer my personal apology and condolences to the family of the boys who were killed,” said Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of ISAF. “I am committed to ensuring we do the right thing for the families of those we harmed, as well as for the community in which they lived. We take full responsibility for this tragedy.”
The boys were killed when Coalition forces fired at what they thought were insurgent forces. A joint Afghan-ISAF investigation team visited the location today and met with local leaders.
In 2010, three Australian commandos were charged in relation to the deaths of six civilians, including five children, in Oruzgan after a night-raid that went wrong.
Tags: Afghan Children, Afghan civilian deaths, Australian troops, ISAF, Oruzgan province
Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=38731
Posted by Tahir Khan
on Mar 2 2013. Filed under Latest News, World.
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C’mon why is the media not correcting this story!?
The Australian’s never fired a single shot in this encounter.
All reports say it was a U.S. Apache chopper who sadly and mistakenly shot the two children.