Official: Afghan Soldiers to Blame for Wedding Bombing

An Afghan official says soldiers are responsible for a rocket attack that killed 17 people at a wedding party in southern Helmand province. Helmand's Deputy Governor Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar said the soldiers fired the rockets late Wednesday after coming under attack from militants in the area. He said the soldiers believed to be responsible for the incident have been handed over to a military court. Rasoulyar also revised down the toll, saying 17 people were killed and about 50 wounded. Witnesses had put the death toll at 26. Most of the victims were women and children. The incident comes as Afghan troops are taking full responsibility for the nation's security, marking the formal end to a 13-year combat mission in Afghanistan by the United States and NATO that targeted Taliban insurgents. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban, which was sheltering the al-Qaida masterminds of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. While the last day of the international military mission's combat role was December 31, about 12,000 U.S. and NATO personnel will remain in Afghanistan to train, advise and assist Afghan police and the army.



from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1vONPDC