Afghan Government helicopters killed two children, ages 10 and 12, and left at least two children wounded and two others missing after bombarding a village in the eastern Ghazni province, officials and local witnesses said on Tuesday.
The fighting comes as Afghan government representatives and the Taliban are holding face-to-face talks in Qatar for the first time, in an effort to end the country’s decades-long war.
There has been a sharp rise in violence this year and a surge of attacks by the Taliban against Afghanistan’s beleaguered security forces since the start of peace talks in September, in addition to deadly attacks last month claimed by Islamic State militants.
Ghazni’s provincial council chief, Nesar Ahmad Faqiri, said Tuesday that Afghan military helicopters were attempting to target Taliban militants in the village, and hit the children by mistake. He said the insurgents were able to escape the village after the airstrikes.