ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan
2010-08-CA-243
For Immediate Release
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KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 21) - An Afghan and coalition force conducted operations in Farah province Friday while in pursuit of a Taliban foreign fighter facilitator.

The facilitator is known to traffic foreign fighters and weapons from Iran and associate with senior Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership. During the operation, six insurgents were killed and several suspected insurgents were detained. Also during the operation, a civilian woman and two children were accidentally killed when a coalition force air weapons team engaged the insurgents.

"We deeply regret what occurred on yesterday's operation," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. "We are taking a step-by-step approach in investigating what went wrong and are always working to reduce civilian casualties. Our condolences go out to the family of these civilians."

The security force tracked a vehicle carrying several armed insurgents to a compound in Pusht-e Rod district in Farah. When the occupants exited the vehicle, the assault force assessed hostile intent and engaged the men, killing six. During the engagement the air weapons team struck the targeted individual's vehicle, which subsequently exploded. The security force conducted a follow-on investigation and assessed the vehicle may have been full of homemade explosives. Additionally, the woman and two children were found dead at the scene as a result of the coalition force engagement.

 "We know the measure by which our mission will be judged is protecting the population from harm by either side. We must continue our emphasis on reducing the loss of innocent civilian life to an absolute minimum," said Torres.