Kunduz madrassa airstrike

Kunduz madrassa airstrike
Part of War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Kunduz in Afghanistan
LocationKunduz
Date2 April 2018
Attack type
Airstrike
Deaths
Injured
  • 71+ civilians injured (as per UN)[1][2]
PerpetratorsIslamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghan Air Force

The Kunduz madrassa airstrike was an Afghan Air Force (AAF) airstrike that killed and injured many civilians at the Akhundzada Gojor Madrassa in the Dasht-e-Archi region of Kunduz, Afghanistan on 2 April 2018. The target of airstrike was a religious gathering at a Madrassa (religious school). A graduation ceremony was taking place at the Madrassa and hundreds of people were attending the ceremony at the time of airstrike.[3] Initially, Afghan Government claimed that airstrike had killed scores of Taliban and denied any civilian casualties took place. But later the Afghan Government admitted that civilians were killed in the airstrike.[4] Local residents from Dasht-e-Archi deny that any Taliban were present at the Madrassa.[5] They said that only children and civilians were targeted and there were no Taliban among the casualties.[6]

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) concluded that around 36 people (30 children and 6 adults) were killed and 71 (51 children and 20 adults) were injured in the attack. UNAMA said that the toll could be much higher as it counted only those casualties that could be confirmed by three independent sources. UNAMA also contradicted Afghan officials claim that the target of the airstrike was Taliban planning session.[1]

Afghanistan's president, Ashraf Ghani, apologised to the victims of airstrike.[7] However, none of the perpetrators of the airstrike were punished.

  1. ^ a b c "Afghan Airstrike Said to Target Taliban Mostly Killed Children, U.N. Finds". New York Times. 8 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b "UN Afghanistan investigation concludes at least 36 children killed in Kunduz madrassa air raid". The Defense Post. 7 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Afghan air force faces criticism after reports that airstrike killed civilians". Washington Post. 3 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Afghan Leaders Admit Civilians Were Killed in Anti-Taliban Bombing". New York Times. 3 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Carnage as airstrike hits boy's school in Taliban territory". CBS News. 3 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Afghan Government Airstrikes Kill At Least 70 at Kunduz Mosque". Democracy Now. 3 April 2018.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference defpost2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).