Civilian Casualties Hinder 173rd Airborne Operation

ASAD ABAD: Afghanistan: Operation Rock Avalanche suffered a setback yesterday, here in the high peaks of southeastern Afghanistan. Soldiers of the 173^rd Airborne Brigade had begun a major fall offensive in the Pech River Valley region to halt activity of ACMs (Anti Collation Militias) before the onset of the winter months. Their strategy began with an air assault in on the mountain tops; then soldiers were to patrol down through the smaller valleys to either kill or capture all insurgents.

“We’ve had to stand down for 24 hours before our company begins its assault to search and attack insurgents in the Shuryak Valley” said Capt. Louis Frketic, A Company’s commander. “Apparently two local kids were wounded during the assault on the night of Oct. 19 and extra time was needed to sort things out with the families. Perhaps a ‘shura’ will be called with the village elders to determine where lies the responsibility regarding the casualties.”

Upon further investigation it turned out that the wounded, along with some of their relatives were here at the native medical clinic at Camp Wright in Asad Abad. After speaking with Mohammud Ishag, a friend of one of the wounded women’s family through an interpreter, a vastly different story surfaced. These people are all from the small village of Yakha China in the Pech district.

Afghan girl whose mother was injured by soldiers in the raid on Yakha China

In the opinion of Mr. Ishag, there were no Al Qaeda, Taliban or other insurgents in this area. He said that five villagers were killed and ten were wounded. The children waiting in the clinic were either slightly wounded, related to one of the three patients in the emergency beds behind the curtain, or relatives of the dead. They were in the care of Mr. Ishag and Mr. Hazrat Shaw, a brother in law of one of the wounded women.

“There were loud roars from the American helicopters that were descending over out village”, said Mr. Isag. “They fired into some of the houses. These children, their mother who is in that bed there; and other members of the family began to flee to another house. The husband was not home. When they used a flash light to see the way, more gunfire erupted and many people were injured. The bodies of the dead” said Mr. Isag, “were taken to their homes; the wounded were brought here to this clinic.”

Hazrat Shaw holding girl whose mother was killed
in the attack on the village of Yakha China.

Apparently the troopers of operation Rock Avalanche, some of whom are Afghan Police and Afghan Army troops, fired on the light, thinking it was being used by insurgents on the run. Thus far nothing official has been released by the US Military, either regarding American casualties, or their responsibility toward the civilian injured and dead.

A just released AP story with information from the Afghan Defense Ministry states that there was but one death and ten wounded among the civilians. Thirty insurgents were also reported killed in this engagement.

Sgt. Corina Rudolph, a US Army medic from the military hospital in Asad Abad did confirm that three of the more seriously injured civilians were taken to the new hospital at Bagram Airfield. There medical specialists are on staff who can treat the more seriously injured.

At this point Operation Rock Avalanche is continuing with its original plan of action. Major air assaults by elements of US and Afghan infantry, mortar teams and machine gunners; will resume after the twenty four hour hold, in the high peaks of the Pech River District.

*A version of this article was published in the Press Republican on November 5, 2007.