Airstrike that hit mosque kills 11 children in Afghanistan: Officials
Afghan soldier
An airstrike hit a mosque in Afghanistan and has taken lives on 11 children and a prayer leader, local authorities reported on Thursday.
The incident happened in a village in thenortheastern province of Takhar on Wednesday came during the ongoing clashes between the Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters, theprovincial police spokesman Khalil Aseer reported.
"The air strike was carried out when the victims were busy studying the Holy Koran," Aseer said, adding a prayer leader was killed alongside the 11 students. He said 14 people were wounded.
While some officials are confirming the report of children being killed, the Ministry of Defence has denied that the airstrike killed any civilians.Afghanistan's Vice President Amrullah Saleh said that no children were killed and the news along this matter was "baseless".
"Twelve Taliban including several of their commanders were killed," the ministrysaid.
"We have undeniable evidence that those who killed our security forces... were killed," he wrote on Facebook. "Those who spread rumours will be dealt with legally."
Mohammad Jawad Hejri, the spokesman for the Takhar provincial governor, however, confirmed deaths of 11 children.
The ministry has said it will launch an investigation into the matter.