| ICRC concerned over violence in south Pajhwok
05/24/2006
By Borhan Younus
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KABUL - Expressing concern over civilian casualties and worsening security situation in southern parts of the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has urged upon the warring parties to respect the rules and principles of international humanitarian law. A press release from the ICRC's headquarters in Geneva and issued here on Monday, said the two sides must take all feasible precautions to avoid losses to civilians lives. "The ICRC is deeply concerned about the worsening situation and its effects on civilians. In particular, ICRC urges the parties (involved in conflict) to exercise constant care in the conduct of military operations." The ICRC's statement appeared at a time when the government confirmed killing of 16 civilians in air raids by coalition forces in the southern Kandahar province in the wee hours of Monday. The US-led coalition forces, in a statement on Monday, said 80 Taliban fighters were possibly killed in the air strike. It said death of 20 fighters was confirmed with 60 others unconfirmed. However, residents from Azizi village, where the bombing was carried out, said dozens of civilians were killed in the strike. Meanwhile, the United Nations has also expressed concern over the mounting insecurity in the southern region. A spokesman for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Adrian Edwards had told reporters on Monday insecurity affected their activities, but there was no plan to pull out from the areas. "What is certain is that insecurity presents problems to our work, and realistically over the next three months or so, insecurity seems likely to continue. If staff cant get out to do their work, we will assess staff levels and move people to places where they can be more effective and useful," said Edwards.
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