The U.S. military said on Monday it had launched its biggest ground operation to date against Islamic militants in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a U.S. military officer expressed concern that a bungled attack that killed nine children on Saturday could alienate Afghans.
THE MILITARY said it launched the operation over the weekend across eastern and southern Afghanistan, where Taliban and allied Islamic militants have regained strength and carried out a series of attacks on foreign troops and aid workers.
About 2,000 of the 11,500 U.S.-led troops in the country are taking part in a mission designed to kill or capture militants and make the area safe for aid and reconstruction work, U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said.
“This one is the largest we have ever designed,” he said at the U.S. headquarters at Bagram north of Kabul.
Hilferty said the operation involved four infantry battalions as well as soldiers from the Afghan National Army and militia.
AIR STRIKE KILLS 9 CHILDREN
Overshadowing the offensive is the deaths of nine children killed by a U.S. air strike on the village of Petaw in the southern province of Ghazni on Saturday.
They are the latest civilians killed accidentally by U.S.-led forces pursuing remnants of the Taliban regime overthrown in late 2001 and members of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network.
Hilferty said the strike by A-10 “tank-buster” aircraft firing 30mm high-explosive and incendiary rounds had been carefully planned to kill a “known terrorist.”
“Unfortunately, when we got there, we found the bodies of nine children and one adult man,” he said.
Afghan officials said the intended target, Mullah Wazir, a former Taliban district commander, was not at home at the time. Villagers said the man killed was someone else.
Asked if such mistakes could boost support for militants, he replied: “I think it is possible such mistakes could make Afghans think ill of the coalition.”
The United Nations said on Sunday it was “profoundly distressed” by news of the children’s deaths and called for a swift investigation and for it to be made public. It said the incident could have a negative impact in the troubled south.
Hilferty said U.S. law did not allow payment of compensation to victims’ families, but U.S. forces aimed to help the village with reconstruction assistance.
‘WAR IS AN INEXACT ART’
“We do make mistakes. War is an inexact art, there is a fog and a friction in war, but we will continue to do the best we can to help them,” he said.
A statement from President Hamid Karzai said he had asked the U.S.-led force for an explanation and sent his own investigation team.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Omar Samad said the government understood the children’s deaths were unintentional, but added: “Everyone realizes that mistakes have been made in the past and every effort must be made to prevent a recurrence.”
Hilferty said the new U.S. offensive, dubbed “Operation Avalanche,” succeeded “Operation Mountain Resolve,” which concluded in Nuristan and Kunar provinces over the weekend.
He said that in November the U.S.-led force had captured and destroyed tens of thousands of artillery rounds, rockets, grenades, bombs and small arms.
He added that “recent successes” had forced militants to switch tactics from confronting soldiers to soft targets such as civilians and aid workers and said a bomb attack on Saturday that wounded 18 Afghans in Kandahar was one such example.
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