AFGHANISTAN/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Airstrikes carried out by the American military killed at least 13 civilians on Saturday in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz, according to residents and officials in the area, a difficult battleground for both Afghan and American forces.
The airstrikes took place in the Chardara district, where Afghan commandos, often advised by the American military and supported by United States air power, had been carrying out operations for several days.
After overnight airstrikes against the Taliban, several residents said the fighters forced them in the morning to help them retrieve the bodies of their fighters from the rubble, at which point the airstrikes resumed.
Capt. Tom Gresback, a spokesman for the United States military in Afghanistan, said they were aware of the claims and were looking into them…
American airstrikes have more than doubled since President Trump announced in August a new strategy for Afghanistan. According to the United States Air Force, American aircraft dropped about 900 munitions in August and September, compared to about 260 for the same period last year.
Afghan officials have praised the strikes, saying they have helped fend off Taliban advances and decreased the risk that militants would take over cities and districts, but others have said the civilian toll from the airstrikes is unacceptably high.”
-Najim Rahim and Mujib Mashal, “U.S. Strikes Caused at Least 13 Civilian Casualties, Afghans Say,” The New York Times online, Nov. 4, 2017