‘Total massacre’ as U.S. drone strike kills 30 farmers in Afghanistan
A U.S. drone attack
killed 30 pine nut farmers and wounded at least 40 others in Afghanistan
Wednesday night, the latest killing of innocent civilians by American forces as
the “war on terror” enters its 19th year. The farmers had just
finished work and were sitting by a fire when the strike happened, according
to tribal elder Malik Rahat Gul. “Some of us managed to
escape, some were injured, but many were killed,” said farm laborer Juma
Gul.
Reuters reported that there may be more farmers missing: Haidar Khan, who
owns the pine nut fields, said about 150 workers were there for harvesting,
with some still missing as well as the confirmed dead and injured. A survivor of the
drone strike said about 200 laborers were sleeping in five tents pitched near
the farm when the attack happened.
In a
statement, Colonel Sonny Leggett, the spokesman for the U.S. campaign in
Afghanistan, said the attack was aimed at “Da’esh (IS) terrorists in
Nangarhar” province. “We are aware of
allegations of the death of non-combatants and are working with local officials
to determine the facts”....
https://www.alternet.org/2019/09/total-massacre-as-u-s-drone-strike-kills-30-farmers-in-afghanistan/