Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 31 July 2019
UN says Afghan forces, allies killed most civilians in 2019

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — way to end the suffering of
More civilians were killed by civilians is to focus on the
Afghan and international political settlement of the
coalition forces in Afghani- conflict and to continue all
stan in the first half of this efforts to reduce violence."
year than by the Taliban "We thoroughly investigate
and other militants, the U.N. every allegation of civilian
mission said in a report re- casualties, and we train
leased Tuesday. the Afghan security forces
The report apparently re- to ensure that they take ut-
fers to civilians killed during most caution in order not to
Afghan and U.S. military harm civilians," said the offi-
operations against insur- cial, speaking on condition
gents, such as airstrikes and of anonymity in line with
night raids on militant hide- regulations.
outs. Insurgents often hide The Taliban have rejected
among civilians. calls for a cease-fire as
The U.S. formally ended its they hold talks with the U.S.
combat mission in Afghani- aimed at ending the 18-
stan in 2014 but still provides year war. An Islamic State
extensive air and other sup- affiliate has meanwhile
port to Afghan forces bat- launched attacks targeting
tling militants. security forces as well as
The U.N. report said 403 Afghan security personnel secure the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 28, minority Shiites.
civilians were killed by Af- 2019. "Parties to the conflict may
ghan forces in the first six Associated Press give differing explanations
months of the year and an- for recent trends, each de-
other 314 by international It said 300 of those killed by comment from the Kabul es and assists the country's signed to justify their own
forces, a total of 717. That's militants were directly tar- government or the Afghan security forces. military tactics," said Rich-
compared to 531 killed geted. The Taliban have military on the report. The alliance is "not com- ard Bennett, the human
by the Taliban, an Islamic been carrying out near- A NATO official stressed placent" and shares U.N. rights chief of the U.N. As-
State affiliate and other daily attacks, mainly tar- that the alliance is now in a concerns over Afghan civil- sistance Mission in Afghani-
militants during the same geting security forces. non-combat mission in Af- ian casualties, the official stan, which released the
period. There was no immediate ghanistan that trains, advis- said, adding that the "best report.q

Pakistani army plane crashes into homes, killing 19

Associated Press ly went down.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) Residents said they woke
— A Pakistani military plane up when they heard an ex-
crashed into a residential plosion and saw debris from
area before dawn on Tues- the burning plane near
day, killing at least 19 peo- their homes. Army helicop-
ple, most of them in their ters were later seen hover-
homes on the outskirts of ing over the crash site.
the city of Rawalpindi, of- "My sister, her husband
ficials said. and their three children
Fires, damaged houses and were killed when the plane
debris were visible in Mora crashed into their home,"
Kalu village near Rawalpin- said Mohammad Mus-
di after daybreak. Victims' tafa as he sobbed near
relatives were seen wail- his sister's badly damaged
ing and crying as rescuers house. He said rescuers and
loaded charred bodies into troops quickly reached the
ambulances. area after the crash.
Rescue officials said 14 ci- Pakistan's President Arif Alvi
vilians, including children, and Prime Minister Imran
and all five crew aboard Khan expressed their con-
the aircraft were killed, in- dolences in separate state-
cluding the two pilots. ments.
Farooq Butt, an official at Abdul Rehman, a medical
the state-run emergency doctor, said at least three
service, said 14 people People help an injured victim who morns for the lost of his family member at the site of plane crash homes were badly dam-
were also injured in the in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, July 30, 2019. aged and that the pilots'
crash. He said the death Associated Press bodies had been retrieved.
toll could rise as some were Hours later, a funeral for the
in critical condition wasn't immediately known. tigation had been opened. debris and probe the crash pilots was held in Rawalpin-
"Most of the victims re- The military said the army As rescue efforts ended, site. di, attended by army chief
ceived burn injuries," Butt aircraft was on a rou- troops and police cor- Footage on social media Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa,
told The Associated Press. tine training flight when it doned off the residential showed the plane was fly- senior army officers and
The cause of the crash crashed, and that an inves- area to search for plane ing very low before it quick- relatives.q