KABUL - A number of Wolesi Jirga or lower house members on Saturday strongly criticized civilian casualties during operations, asking for decisive steps to be taken for preventing innocent human losses.
Last week, 23 civilians were killed and three others injured in a US forces airstrike in Garmsir district of southern Helmand province.
Seven civilians were killed and five others including women and children wounded during a joint Afghan and US forces operation in Gumal district of southern Paktika province.
Obaidullah Barakzai, a lawmaker from central Uruzgan province, talking about the civilian casualties, said, “Afghanistan turned to the graveyard, for how long should we keep silent on loss of innocent lives,”
He expressed concern over airstrikes and night raids carried out by Afghan and US forces that caused civilian deaths and said that such attacks created distance between the people and the government.
He said that security forces should be careful about civilian lives during air and ground operations.
Mohammad Arif Rahmani, a lawmaker from Ghazni province, said, “Our silence about civilian casualties shows our negligence, MPs usually take stances only about their personal interests but the crimes that taken place in Helmand are ignored, UNAMA has confirmed that civilians were killed but we are silent,”
He asked other lawmakers to have a clear stance about the civilian casualties.
Habiba Sadat, a representative from Helmand province, condemned civilian casualties and asked the government to stop blindfolded bombardments and not allow foreign forces to spark public anger.
Razia Sadat Mangal, a lawmaker from Paktia province, said that Afghan and foreign forces should be careful about civilian lives when launching operations.
A number of other members of the house had similar views and demanded precision during operations.
Amir Khan Yar, second deputy speaker of the Wolesi Jirga who was charing the meeting, said that civilian casualties caused by any side were unacceptable.
He said that inflicting casualties to civilians was against war and international norms and warring sides should be very cautious in their operations. (Pajhwok)