Joint US-Afghan military operation kills 20 in E. Afghanistan

Local residents in Afghanistan’s Logar Province say at least 20 people have been killed in a joint military operation by Afghan security forces and the US-led foreign troops.

The residents said on Wednesday that most of those killed in a two-day joint operation by Afghan and NATO forces in the province’s Barak-e Barak village were women and children.

This is while, Afghan and foreign forces claimed those killed were Taliban militants.

In another similar operation on January 23, three Afghans were killed and two others wounded in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

After more than a decade of war, Washington has repeatedly been blamed for failing to keep its promises of bringing peace and security to Afghanistan.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.

The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but years into the invasion, insecurity is rising across the country despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops in Afghanistan.