Wech Baghtu wedding party airstrike

The Wech Baghtu wedding party airstrike refers to the killing of about 37 Afghan civilians, mostly women and children, and injuring about 2 others by a United States military airstrike on 3 November 2008. The group was celebrating a wedding at a housing complex in the village of Wech Baghtu, a Taliban stronghold in the Shah Wali Kot District of Kandahar province, Afghanistan.[1][2][3][4][5]

Wech Baghtu wedding party airstrike
Date3 November 2008
Location
Wech Baghtu village, Shah Wali Kot District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan
Result 26 insurgents and 37 civilians killed including 23 children, 10 women, and 4 men, another 27 wounded

The airstrike followed a firefight breaking out between US troops and Taliban forces stationed on a mountain behind the wedding party.[1][6][7][8] On 7 November 2008, Afghan officials said a joint investigation found that 37 civilians and 26 insurgents were killed in Wech Baghtu.[1] Wedding parties in Afghanistan are segregated by sex; of the civilians, 23 were children, 10 were women, and 4 were men. Another 27 persons were injured, including the bride.[7][9][10][11][12] The bombing destroyed the housing complex where women and children had gathered to celebrate.

On 5 November 2008, Afghan President Hamid Karzai responded by demanding that newly elected US President Barack Obama end civilian deaths, stating "Our demand is that there will be no civilian casualties in Afghanistan. We cannot win the fight against terrorism with airstrikes – this is my first demand of the new president of the United States – to put an end to civilian casualties."[13][14][15]

See also

References
  1. Canada. "Air strikes kill dozens of wedding guests". The Globe and Mail. Canada. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  2. "Karzai says air strike kills 40 in Afghanistan". Reuters. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  3. Wafa, Abdul Waheed; McDonald, Mark (5 November 2008). "Deadly U.S. airstrike said to hit Afghan wedding party". The New York Times.
  4. "U.S. Strike Reportedly Kills 40 at Afghanistan Wedding". Fox News. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  5. Dromi, Shai M. (2020). Above the fray: The Red Cross and the making of the humanitarian NGO sector. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. pp. vii–viii. ISBN 9780226680101.
  6. "Afghanistan: US Missile Strike Kills 37 Civilians". HuffPost. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  7. Yunlong, Zhang (5 November 2008). "Villagers say 37 Afghan civilians killed in US-led air strike on wedding party". RAWA News. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  8. "Deadly U.S. airstrike said to hit Afghan wedding party (Published 2008)". The New York Times. 5 November 2008. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  9. "Deaths in Afghanistan: Air Force Report Confirms Rising Civilian Toll". Spiegel. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  10. Associated Press in Wech Baghtu (6 November 2008). "Alleged US air raid 'kills 37' at Afghan nuptials". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  11. "Afghanistan: U.S. Bombing Kills 37". CBS News. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  12. Farmer, Ben (5 November 2008). "US warplanes bomb wedding party, Afghans claim". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  13. "Karzai Demands Obama End Civilian Deaths". HuffPost. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  14. "Karzai to Obama: Stop killing Afghan civilians; U.S. airstrike reportedly kills 37 at wedding party". Cleveland Plain Dealer. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  15. "Karzai 'demands' Obama end civilian deaths after latest incident". USA Today. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2011.

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