2007 Helmand Province airstrikes

The airstrikes in Helmand Province resulted in the highest civilian deaths since 2001.

The 2007 Helmand province airstrikes were a set of airstrikes conducted by NATO and resulted in death of at least 45 Afghan civilians. The death count in southern Helmand province was the highest since 2001, when US-led forces used heavy bombing in their campaign to drive the Taliban from power.^[1]^[2]

Background

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. This marked the beginning of the U.S. War on Terrorism. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy Al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to Al-Qaeda.

The U.S. and Britain led the aerial bombing campaign, with ground forces supplied primarily by the Afghan Northern Alliance and supplemented by NATO troops. The U.S. military name of the conflict was Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

A U.N. tally shows that of civilian deaths this year, 314 were caused by international or Afghan security forces, and 279 by insurgents. A similar Associated Press count, though lower, shows the same trend: 213 killed by the U.S. or NATO and 180 by the Taliban.

The event

On 22 June 2007, NATO fighters attacked alleged insurgents in South Afghanistan.^[3] They targeted several houses in the southern part of Helmand province. What is not clear is exactly how many people died. It is known that women and children were among the dead, some local leaders say over 100 people were killed. The US and NATO say they do not have civilian casualty figures.

Afghans' reaction

Civilian deaths have infuriated Afghans. Afghan president Hamid Karzai has condemned the forces for carelessness and viewing Afghan lives as "cheap." He has also blamed the Taliban for using civilians as human shields.^[4] President Hamid Karzai ordered a six-man team to conduct a more thorough investigation into the dozens of deaths in Helmand province, said Sher Mohammad Akhanzada, a member of parliament from the province. Karzai accused NATO of careless operation.^[5]^[6]

NATO's response

NATO, which has admitted some civilians were killed in the battle late Friday but says the number is far fewer than 45, welcomed Karzai's order.

International reactions

Pakistan condemned civilian killings by NATO forces in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.^[7]

References

↑ "NATO air strikes kill villagers". Herald Sun. July 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
↑ Jason Burke (July 1, 2007). "'Up to 80 civilians dead' after US air strikes in Afghanistan". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
↑ "Air Raids Kill over 100 Afghans". Prensa Latina. July 1, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
↑ Noor Khan (July 1, 2007). "Afghans: 62 Taliban, 45 Civilians Dead". Forbes (magazine). Retrieved 2007-07-04.
↑ David Fox (June 23, 2007). "Karzai accuses NATO of ‘careless operations' in civilian deaths". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
↑ Rahim Faiez (June 24, 2007). "Karzai Warns NATO: Afghan Life Not Cheap". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
↑ "Pakistan condemns NATO civilian killings". Al Jazeera. June 26, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-04.

2001 –2006	2001 Dasht-i-Leili massacre Battle of Tarinkot Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif Siege of Kunduz Uprising in Herat Fall of Kabul Battle of Shawali Kowt Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay Battle of Qala-i-Jangi Fall of Kandahar Battle of Tora Bora 2002 Guantanamo Bay 2002 Kabul bombing 2003 2004 2005 Bagram torture and prisoner abuse Salt Pit 2006
2007	Shinwar shooting Hyderabad airstrike Nangar Khel incident Helmand Province airstrikes 2007 Baghlan sugar factory bombing 2007 Bagram Airfield bombing 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan
2008	Haska Meyna wedding party airstrike Azizabad airstrike Wech Baghtu wedding party airstrike 2008 Indian embassy bombing in Kabul 2008 Kabul Serena Hotel attack Kidnapping of David Rohde Sarposa prison attack of 2008 2008 Kandahar bombing Spin Boldak bombing
2009	Granai airstrike Kunduz airstrike Narang night raid February 2009 Kabul raids 2009 Kabul Indian embassy attack 2009 Kandahar bombing 2009 NATO Afghanistan headquarters bombing Camp Chapman attack
2010	Khataba raid February 2010 Kabul attack Uruzgan helicopter attack Sangin airstrike Maywand District murders Tarok Kolache Nadahan wedding bombing May 2010 Kabul bombing 2010 Badakhshan massacre
2011	Mano Gai airstrike Pakistani border attack Bin Laden raid Sarposa Prison tunneling escape Helmand Province incident 2011 Logar province bombing 2011 Afghanistan Ashura bombings 2011 Nimruz province bombing 2011 Zabul province bombing 2011 Chinook shootdown in Afghanistan
2012	Urination video Kapisa airstrike Quran burning protests April 2012 Afghanistan attacks Forward Operating Base Delhi massacre Kandahar massacre September 2012 Camp Bastion raid Body pictures
2013	June 2013 Kabul bombings 2013 Afghan presidential palace attack 2013 attack on U.S. consulate in Herat 2013 Indian embassy attack
2014	Herat Indian Consulate Attack 2014 Paktika car bombing 2014 Yahyakhel suicide bombing 2014 Kabul Serena Hotel attack Atiqullah Raufi assassination December 2014 Kabul bombings
2015	2015 Park Palace guesthouse attack 2015 Kabul Parliament attack Khost suicide bombing Jalalabad suicide bombing August 2015 Kabul attacks 10 August 2015 Kabul suicide attack 22 August 2015 Kabul suicide attack Ghazni prison escape Battle of Kunduz Kunduz hospital airstrike Kandahar Airport attack 2015 Spanish Embassy attack in Kabul
2016	February 2016 Kabul bombing Nangarhar Offensive (2016) 2016 Jalalabad suicide bombing Operation Omari Kabul NDS building Kunduz-Takhar highway hostage crisis Kabul Canadian Embassy convoy bombing Wardak Province bombing Kabul Hazara protest bombing Kabul Northgate Hotel bombing Jani Khel offensive Kabul American University siege Kabul Defense Ministry bombing Battle of Tarinkot (2016) Battle of Kunduz (2016) Battle of Boz Qandahari Mazar-i-Sharif German consulate attack Bagram Airfield bombing Kabul Shia mosque bombing
2017	10 January 2017 Afghanistan bombings February 2017 Afghanistan's Supreme Court in Kabul attack 2017 Sangin airstrike March 2017 Kabul attack 2017 Nangarhar airstrike 2017 Camp Shaheen attack May 2017 Kabul attack June 2017 Kabul attack 2017 Herat bombing June 2017 Kabul mosque attack 2017 Lashkargah bombing Iraqi embassy attack Herat mosque attack

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