UN envoy conveys condolences to families of Afghan civilian victims of air strike

The senior United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today conveyed his condolences to the families of the Afghans killed unintentionally when a coalition air strike in Paktika Province missed its intended target.

Lakhdar Brahimi, who also expressed sympathy to those injured as well as those who lost property, discussed the unfortunate incident with Afghan President Hamid Karzai last night, according to a spokesman for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). "[He] will be raising the issue with Coalition authorities as well," Manoel de Almeida e Silva told a press briefing in Kabul.

The spokesman said that Mr. Brahimi has often discussed the issue of mistaken attacks on innocent civilians with the coalition authorities, adding "we are sure they realize as much as we do, how much suffering they inflict on innocent people and how much anger they provoke not only of those directly affected, but also of most Afghans."

"The US and other members of the coalition realize the negative effect these incidents have on them, on the international community as a whole and, most importantly, on the peace process in Afghanistan," Mr. Almeida e Silva said.