KABUL: 13 civilians including 10 children were killed in a US airstrike on the Taliban stronghold of Kunduz on Monday, the UN says.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated that the air strike had killed 13 civilians in the Telawka neighbourhood, close to Kunduz city, during a 30-hour operation conducted by pro-government forces against Taliban in the area.
Initial investigations have found that 10 children from the same extended family were among those killed.
A member of the Kunduz provincial council said the victims were from displaced families who had fled from violence in Dasht-e-Archi district and moved to the city to find safety.
Sgt. Debra Richardson, the spokesperson for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, confirmed that the air strike was conducted by the US forces targeting Taliban fighters in Kunduz.
She also said that the air strike was not meant to kill the civilians but the Taliban hides among civilians deliberately.
The airstrike is part of an escalation in the fighting between the Taliban and US-led forces which has accompanied ongoing peace talks aimed at resolving the 17-year long war.
In a press release, UNAMA urged those responsible for the airstrike to conduct their own inquiries into the incident and take immediate steps to safeguard civilians from harm and issue compensation to those affected.