China News Service, September 14th. According to comprehensive US media reports, at the end of August, the US military deployed drones to attack members of the Islamic State branch of the extremist organization in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. However, a recent investigation by the New York Times found that the US military might attack The target was mistakenly targeted as an Afghan rescuer working for a U.S. NGO, not a terrorist, resulting in the deaths of 10 civilians.
The U.S. Pentagon defended the airstrike in Kabul.
Image source: Screenshot from the New York Times
According to reports, officials from the US Department of Defense stated that on August 29, on the eve of the completion of the U.S. withdrawal, the U.S. military dispatched a "Reaper" drone to destroy a suspected "Islamic State" Afghan branch ISIS carrying a bomb. -K vehicles.
These explosives are believed to be used to attack Kabul Airport.
U.S. military personnel said that when the drone launched the attack, they did not know the identity of the driver of the car to be hit, but believed that their behavior was suspicious.
They claimed that the man entered the hideout of a member of the "Islamic State" and carried what was suspected of being "explosives" into the car.
However, Aimar, a resident of Kabul, said that 10 civilians were killed in the US airstrike, including his youngest daughter, nephew, niece and brother Zemari.
According to reports, Zemari was a car driver locked by the US military. He worked for an American NGO for a long time and drove a car for official duties on the day of the attack.
When he came home from get off work and just parked his car, he was attacked by air.
The New York Times analyzed the footage of nearby monitors and interviewed Zemari’s family, colleagues, and witnesses. It was discovered that Zemari’s work that day included transporting colleagues to and from get off work. He and his colleagues had put several buckets on the car. This may be suspected by the US military as "explosives."
On August 31, local time, after all US troops withdrew from Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban Badri Special Forces stood guard at Kabul Airport.
The US military also claimed that after the drone attack, a second explosion occurred at the scene, showing that there were "explosives" in the target vehicle.
However, the "New York Times" investigation revealed that there was no evidence of a second explosion at the scene, and there was only a depression in the nearby gate, with no obvious signs of additional explosions.
US Department of State Spokesperson Kirby once responded that the US Central Command will "continuously evaluate" the airstrike, and emphasized that "the attack is based on good intelligence, and we still believe that it prevented the airport and airport staff from being imminent." Threat."
In response to this incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian pointed out at a regular press conference on September 14 that the media had widely reported the accidental killing of civilians by the US military in Afghanistan in recent days, and there were also international public opinions calling for accountability against the US. He emphasized that in the face of widespread doubts and unanimous condemnation from the international community, the United States must not attempt to get through and leave it alone. It must thoroughly investigate the truth and give the Afghan people and the international community a responsible account.