Three killed in killer US drone strike in northeast Afghanistan

Three people have been killed in the latest US killer drone strike in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Kunar.

Provincial police chief, Abdul Habib Sayedkhili said the aerial assault was carried out in the Dara-i-Pech district, west of the provincial capital, Asadabad, at around 6:00 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) on Sunday.

The US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan have recently increased their air raids against civilian areas.

The United States carries out killings through drone strikes in Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

While Washington claims the targets of the drone attacks are al-Qaeda militants, local officials and witnesses maintain that, in most cases, civilians have been the victims of the attacks over the past few years.

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 insecurity remains across the war-torn country.

The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, will remain in Afghanistan in what is said to be a support mission.

NATO says the forces will focus more narrowly on counterterrorism and on training Afghan soldiers and policemen.