Afghan children killed in coalition strike

Seven children are dead as a result of an air strike conducted by U.S.-led coalition forces in the Paktika province on the Afghan border with Pakistan, BBC News reported today. The targeted compound was said to be a point of refuge for al-Qaeda militants.

A statement by coalition forces cited “credible intelligence” that al-Qaeda members had taken shelter in a compound located in Zarghun Shah, however, no mention was made as to whether the intelligence pointed out the existence of a mosque and a school in which civilians were located.

This tragedy comes as U.S.-led forces face sharp criticisms due to the heightened number of civilian causalities. President Hamid Karzai has released various statements calling on the coalition forces to act more responsibly as a means of reducing such civilian deaths amid a growing Taliban influence in the country.

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