(CNN)At least 40 civilians attending a wedding were killed Sunday night when Afghan military forces struck against a Taliban hideout in the building adjacent to the ceremony.
The attack by the Afghan National Security Forces took place in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense.
“We are saddened and devastated to hear that civilians have lost their lives in an incident in Helmand despite President (Ashraf) Ghani’s repeated call for extra cautions in conducting military operations,” Sediq Sediqqi, the President’s spokesman, said on Twitter.
Omar Zwak, Helmand provincial spokesman, said the government has sent a delegation to investigate the incident. The Ministry of Defense said it would share the findings with media.
Local residents said all civilians killed and injured during the operation were from the wedding party, according to the Ministry of Defense statement.
According to the ministry, 22 foreign members of the Taliban were killed and 14 arrested in the operation. The arrested include five Pakistani nationals and one Bangladeshi.
A large warehouse of the group’s supplies and equipment was also demolished during the attack, the statement said.
Kurgen
Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/23/asia/afghanistan-wedding-attack-intl/index.html