Security forces mistakenly killed nine civilians during a raid in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on Monday night, according to reports. Attaullah Khoghyani, the spokesperson for Nangarhar Governor Hayatullah Hayat, said special forces conducted the raid in Dawlatzai area of Chaparhar district, Tolo News reported.

“Nine civilians including a local police commander, relatives of the Senate Chairperson Fazal Hadi Muslimyar and several others were wounded,” Khoghyani added. A child is among those injured. However, the Taliban claimed that all those killed were relatives of Muslimyar.

Advertisement

Hayat said that gunfire was heard from the houses the Afghan forces raided, and that once the operation was over, it was clear that civilians had been killed, AP reported.

The central government has sent a delegation to “seriously investigate” the incident, Tolo News said.