On September 18, 2019 the United States ordered a drone strike, with the purpose of hitting an Islamic State hideout. On the very same day, it was reported that a truck bomb supplied by the Taliban killed over 30 people in close proximity to a hospital in Qalati Ghilji. The drone strike was intended to hit IS terrorists in Nangarhar. Instead the strike hit a camp of laborers, working to harvest and shell pine nuts. This attack occurred in the evening while the workers were resting, some at a bonfire as others rested. The strike killed a minimum of 30 people, injuring at least 40 more, with many others considered to be missing.
Many of the workers affected by the mishap have reached out to officials both in Afghanistan and the United States, insistent on obtaining not only an apology, but monetary compensation from the United States government as well. IS has yet to comment on the attack. According to Attuallah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, Islamic State members often use rural land for not only recruitment, but also for training. This is decent starting intelligence for the United States, however, not entirely enough to launch a drone strike. The drone strike on innocent civilians has quickly caught the attention of locals, who led a protest on Thursday morning. Javed Mansur, who resides in Jalalabad city, agrees, stating that “Such mistakes cannot be justified. American forces must realize [they] will never win the war by killing innocent civilians.” Many are angry at the negligence shown by the United States. The States have failed to make an official statement on the attack,with Colonel Sonny Leggett only verifying that the strike was intended for IS terrorists in Nangarhar, and that the United States government is “aware of allegations of the death of non-combatants and [is] working with local officials to determine the facts.”
This calamity has not only upset the people of Afghanistan, but could potentially escalate the far extended conflict overseas. Although many would say that it is safe to assume the inaccurate drone strike was nothing but misguided, it does not change the fact that the United States made a sizeable error at the expense of Afghani lives. I feel as if this mistake could be detrimental to finding a solution to the ongoing conflict.
