Over Two Dozen Killed in Rocket Attack on Afghan Wedding Party: AP
Deadly attack another reminder 'of the horror of the violence that ordinary Afghans face'
A rocket has killed at least 26 people attending a wedding party in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
AP reports that the deadly strike, which may have also wounded up to 60, occurred amidst fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan soldiers, though it not indicate which side fired the rocket that hit the house in Sangin District.
The news agency quotes Abdul Haleem, a cousin of the bride and host of the wedding, as saying: "I just collected body parts." Nine of his children are missing.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said this month that 2014 saw the highest number of Afghan civilians killed or wounded the agency has ever recorded.
" Civilian casualties are a particularly tragic and very prominent part, even benchmark, of the horror of the violence that ordinary Afghans face," UNAMA head Nicholas Haysom stated.
The attack on the wedding party comes just days after the U.S. declared the war officially over--an announcement that has met considerable criticism given U.S. plans for continued combat at least through 2015.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A rocket has killed at least 26 people attending a wedding party in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
AP reports that the deadly strike, which may have also wounded up to 60, occurred amidst fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan soldiers, though it not indicate which side fired the rocket that hit the house in Sangin District.
The news agency quotes Abdul Haleem, a cousin of the bride and host of the wedding, as saying: "I just collected body parts." Nine of his children are missing.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said this month that 2014 saw the highest number of Afghan civilians killed or wounded the agency has ever recorded.
" Civilian casualties are a particularly tragic and very prominent part, even benchmark, of the horror of the violence that ordinary Afghans face," UNAMA head Nicholas Haysom stated.
The attack on the wedding party comes just days after the U.S. declared the war officially over--an announcement that has met considerable criticism given U.S. plans for continued combat at least through 2015.
A rocket has killed at least 26 people attending a wedding party in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
AP reports that the deadly strike, which may have also wounded up to 60, occurred amidst fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan soldiers, though it not indicate which side fired the rocket that hit the house in Sangin District.
The news agency quotes Abdul Haleem, a cousin of the bride and host of the wedding, as saying: "I just collected body parts." Nine of his children are missing.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said this month that 2014 saw the highest number of Afghan civilians killed or wounded the agency has ever recorded.
" Civilian casualties are a particularly tragic and very prominent part, even benchmark, of the horror of the violence that ordinary Afghans face," UNAMA head Nicholas Haysom stated.
The attack on the wedding party comes just days after the U.S. declared the war officially over--an announcement that has met considerable criticism given U.S. plans for continued combat at least through 2015.