Botched US bombing raid kills at least 30 pine nut farmers in eastern Afghanistan

The drone attack was aimed at destroying a hideout used by Islamic State militants, but it accidentally targeted the farmers instead

Later the same day, a Taliban-claimed suicide bombing at a hospital in the south of the country killed at least 20 and wounded dozens more

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Afghan women work on a Kabul rooftop preparing pine nuts in this 2014 file photo. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:16pm, 19 Sep 2019Updated: 7:11pm, 19 Sep 2019

A US drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State hideout in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians resting after a day’s labour in the fields, officials said on Thursday.

The attack on Wednesday night also injured another 40 people after accidentally targeting farmers and labourers who had just finished collecting pine nuts at Wazir Tangi in eastern Nangarhar province, three Afghan officials said.

“US forces conducted a drone strike against Da’esh [IS] terrorists in Nangarhar,” said Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan. “We are aware of allegations of the death of non-combatants and are working with local officials to determine the facts.”

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 civilians casualty 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.”