Air strike kills 30 civilians

JALALABAD/KABUL: At least 30 civilians were killed and 40 injured in an air strike conducted by the Afghan security forces, backed by US air support, in eastern Afghanistan, officials said yesterday.

The attack on Wednesday night was aimed at destroying a hideout used by Islamic State militants but it accidentally targeted farmers near a field in the Wazir Tangi area of Khogyani district, in Nangarhar province, three government officials told Reuters.

Sohrab Qaderi, a provincial council member in eastern Nangarhar province, said a drone strike killed 30 workers in a pine nut field and at least 40 others were injured.

The defence ministry in Kabul confirmed the strike conducted by Afghan and US forces was aimed at fighters belonging to IS, but refused to share details of civilian casualties caused by the attack.

Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Nangarhar, confirmed the air strike.

‘‘The government is investigating the incident. So far nine bodies were collected from the attack site near a pine nut field.’’

US forces in Kabul were not immediately available for a comment.

Malik Rahat Gul, a tribal elder in Wazir Tangi, said the air strike happened at a time when tired workers, mainly daily wage earners, had gathered near their tent after harvesting pine nuts in a field nearby.

‘‘The workers had lit a bonfire and were sitting together when a drone targeted them,’’ he said. — Reuters