2007 Helmand Province airstrikes

NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan

The airstrikes in Helmand Province resulted in the highest civilian deaths since 2001.

The 2007 Helmand province airstrikes were a set of airstrikes conducted by NATO on 22 June 2007 which resulted in death of at least 45 Afghan civilians. The death count in southern Helmand province was the highest since 2001, when US-led forces used heavy bombing in their campaign to drive the Taliban from power.[1][2]

## Background

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The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. This marked the beginning of the U.S. War on Terror. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy Al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbor to Al-Qaeda.

The U.S. and Britain led the aerial bombing campaign, with ground forces supplied primarily by the Afghan Northern Alliance and supplemented by NATO troops. The U.S. military name of the conflict was Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

A U.N. tally shows that of civilian deaths this year, 314 were caused by international or Afghan security forces, and 279 by insurgents. A similar Associated Press count, though lower, shows the same trend: 213 killed by the U.S. or NATO and 180 by the Taliban.

## The event

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On 22 June 2007, NATO fighters attacked alleged insurgents in South Afghanistan.[3] They targeted several houses in the southern part of Helmand province. What is not clear is exactly how many people died. It is known that women and children were among the dead, some local leaders say over 100 people were killed. The US and NATO say they do not have civilian casualty figures.

## Afghans' reaction

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Civilian deaths have infuriated Afghans. Afghan president Hamid Karzai has condemned the forces for carelessness and viewing Afghan lives as "cheap." He has also blamed the Taliban for using civilians as human shields.[4] President Hamid Karzai ordered a six-man team to conduct a more thorough investigation into the dozens of deaths in Helmand province, said Sher Mohammad Akhanzada, a member of parliament from the province. Karzai accused NATO of careless operation.[5][6]

## NATO's response

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NATO, which has admitted some civilians were killed in the battle late Friday but says the number is far fewer than 45, welcomed Karzai's order.

## International reactions

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Pakistan condemned civilian killings by NATO forces in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.[7]

## References

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1. ^ "NATO air strikes kill villagers". Herald Sun. July 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
2. ^ Jason Burke (July 1, 2007). "'Up to 80 civilians dead' after US air strikes in Afghanistan". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
3. ^ "Air Raids Kill over 100 Afghans". Prensa Latina. July 1, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
4. ^ Noor Khan (July 1, 2007). "Afghans: 62 Taliban, 45 Civilians Dead". Forbes. Retrieved 2007-07-04.[dead link]
5. ^ David Fox (June 23, 2007). "Karzai accuses NATO of 'careless operations' in civilian deaths". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2007-06-27. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
6. ^ Rahim Faiez (June 24, 2007). "Karzai Warns NATO: Afghan Life Not Cheap". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-07-04. [dead link]
7. ^ "Pakistan condemns NATO civilian killings". Al Jazeera. June 26, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-04.

## See also

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* War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

* v
* t
* e

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Overview|

* Prelude
* History
* Timeline
* Operations
* Logistics
* Impact
* International Security Assistance Force
* Taliban insurgency
* Drone strikes in Pakistan
* Withdrawal of U.S. troops
* 2011–2016
* 2020–2021
* Resolute Support Mission
* Evacuation

Casualties
and losses|

* Afghan forces
* Civilian
* 2001–2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2011
* 2012
* Coalition
* United States
* United Kingdom
* Canadian
* German
* Norwegian
* Aviation incidents

Timeline|

| 2001|

* Bombing of Kandahar
* Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif
* Siege of Kunduz
* Herat uprising
* Fall of Kabul
* Battle of Tarinkot
* Fall of Kandahar
* Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
* Dasht-i-Leili massacre
* Battle of Shawali Kowt
* Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay
* Battle of Tora Bora

|

2002
–2006|

* 2002
* Guantanamo Bay
* Uruzgan bombing
* Kabul bombing
* 2003
* Pakistan Embassy in Kabul attack
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* Taliban offensive

2007|

* Shinwar shooting
* Hyderabad airstrike
* Nangar Khel incident
* Helmand airstrikes
* Baghlan bombing
* Bagram bombing
* South Korean hostage crisis

2008|

* Haska Meyna airstrike
* Azizabad airstrike
* Wech Bagtu airstrike
* Kabul Indian embassy bombing
* Kabul S Hotel attack
* Kidnapping of David Rohde
* Sarposa attack
* Kandahar bombing
* Spin Boldak bombing

2009|

* Granai airstrike
* Kunduz airstrike
* Narang raid
* February Kabul raids
* Kabul Indian embassy bombing
* Kandahar bombing
* NATO HQ bombing
* Camp Chapman attack
* Battle of Sabzak

2010|

* January Kabul attack
* Raid on Khataba
* February Kabul attack
* Uruzgan attack
* Sangin airstrike
* Maywand murders
* Tarok Kolache
* Nadahan bombing
* May Kabul bombing
* Badakhshan massacre
* Operation Halmazag

2011|

* Mano Gai airstrike
* Sarposa prison escape
* Bin Laden raid
* Logar bombing
* I-C Hotel Kabul attack
* Nimruz bombing
* Zabul bombing
* Chinook shootdown
* Helmand killing
* Pakistani border attack
* Ashura bombings

2012|

* Order of battle
* Urination video
* Kapisa airstrike
* Quran burning protests
* April attacks
* Forward Operating Base Delhi massacre
* Kandahar massacre
* September Camp Bastion raid
* Shesh Aba raid
* Body pictures

2013|

* Farah attack
* June Kabul bombings
* Presidential palace attack
* Herat U.S. consulate attack
* Jalalabad Indian consulate bombing

2014|

* Kabul S Hotel attack
* Herat Indian consulate attack
* Bagram bombing
* Paktika bombing
* Yahyakhel bombing
* December Kabul bombings
* Atiqullah Raufi assassination

2015|

* Park Palace attack
* Kabul Parliament attack
* Khost bombing
* April Jalalabad bombing
* 7 August Kabul attacks
* 10 August Kabul bombing
* 22 August Kabul bombing
* Ghazni prison escape
* Battle of Kunduz
* Hospital airstrike
* Kandahar Airport bombing
* Kabul Spanish Embassy attack
* Bagram bombing

2016|

* Nangarhar offensive
* Operation Omari
* April Kabul attack
* Kunduz-Takhar highway hostage crisis
* Kabul Canadian Embassy convoy bombing
* 30 June bombings
* July Kabul bombing
* Janikhel offensive
* AUoA attack
* September Kabul attacks
* Battle of Tarinkot
* Battle of Kunduz
* Battle of Boz Qandahari
* Mazar-i-Sharif German consulate bombing
* Bagram bombing

2017|

* January bombings
* Sangin airstrike
* March Kabul attack
* Nangarhar airstrike
* Camp Shaheen attack
* May Kabul bombing
* June Herat bombing
* Battle of Bora Bora
* June Lashkargar bombing
* August Herat attack
* 17 October attacks
* 20 October attacks
* 28 December Kabul bombing

2018|

* I-C Hotel Kabul attack
* STC Jalalabad attack
* Kabul ambulance bombing
* March Kabul bombing
* Kunduz madrassa attack
* 22 April Kabul bombing
* 30 April Kabul bombings
* Battle of Farah
* July Jalalabad bombing
* Battle of Darzab
* Ghazni offensive
* September Jalalabad bombing

2019|

* Maidan Shar attack
* Camp Shorabak attack
* 2019 Kabul mosque bombing
* 1 July Kabul attack
* Ghazni bombing
* 28 July Kabul bombing
* July Farah bombing
* 7 August Kabul bombing
* 17 August Kabul bombing
* 2 & 5 September Kabul bombings
* 17 September bombings
* Qalat bombing
* Jalalabad suicide bombing
* Haska Meyna mosque bombing
* Bagram attack

2020|

* 6 March Kabul shooting
* Kabul gurdwara attack
* May attacks
* June attacks
* July attacks
* August attacks
* Jalalabad prison
* September attacks
* October attacks
* November attacks
* Kabul University attack
* December attacks

2021|

* Attacks
* Taliban offensive
* Kabul school bombing
* Battle of Kandahar
* Fall of Herat
* Battle of Lashkargah
* Capture of Zaranj
* Fall of Kabul
* Kunduz mosque bombing
* Kandahar bombing
* 2021 Kabul airlift
* Operation Allies Refuge
* Operation Pitting
* Operation Devi Shakti
* Kabul airport attack
* August 29 drone strike

Aftermath|

* Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
* Republican insurgency
* Islamic State–Taliban conflict
* Afghan frozen assets

War crimes|

* ICC investigation
* Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission
* UK Afghan Unlawful Killings inquiry
* Australian Brereton Inquiry
* War crimes by the Taliban
* Kunduz hospital airstrike
* Kandahar massacre
* Torture
* Bagram torture and prisoner abuse
* Salt Pit

Peace
process|

* Afghan peace process
* Afghan peace groups
* Tabassum movement
* Enlightenment Movement
* Uprising for Change
* People's Peace Movement
* 2021–2022 Afghan protests

Reactions|

* Afghan War documents leak
* International public opinion
* Opposition
* Protests
* To the fall of Kabul

Memorials|

* London

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