Jalalabad: Nine schoolgirls were injured in
a NATO helicopter attack in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, an Afghan official alleged Wednesday.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
said it was looking into the allegation but had no immediate
information.
"This morning a school was attacked by a NATO helicopter.
Nine children, all girls, and the school's janitor have been
injured," Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the Nangarhar provincial
government spokesman said.
"Some of the girls were discharged after receiving
treatment but about five of them are still in the hospital,"
Abdulzai said, accusing the US-led ISAF force of carrying out
the attack.
An ISAF spokesman said the force was aware of the claim
but "we don't have operational reporting of it".
"ISAF officials are looking into these claims," the
spokesman said.
Last week, ISAF conceded that several children died
during a bombing raid on February 8 in northeast Kapisa
province.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai had condemned the air
strikes and ordered an investigation after saying that eight
children were killed.
The latest report comes amid intense anti-US riots in
Kabul that were unleashed after the burning of copies of the
Koran by foreign forces at the US-run Bagram military base
north of the capital.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 16:38