Preliminary findings from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) indicates that 12 civilians were killed on Sunday in an airstrike in Wardak province during operations conducted by pro-government forces in the area.

All of the victims were women and children from the same family whose house in the village of Mullah Hafez, Jaghato district, Wardak, was destroyed in an airstrike late Sunday.

Ten of those killed were children whose ages ranged from six to 15. Eight were girls.

UNAMA said in a statement it is currently reviewing reports of civilian casualties from a number of alleged airstrikes in other parts of the country and that it continues to work to verify whether Afghan or international military forces were responsible for the civilian casualties from recent strikes.

As part of its Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict mandate given to it by the UN Security Council, UNAMA will continue its independent enquiries to establish additional facts around the latest incidents, sharing the findings with parties as part of advocacy efforts for improved mitigation measures in their future operations to prevent civilian casualties.

UNAMA also stated that it is concerned about the rising number of civilian deaths and injuries caused by aerial operations and urges all parties to take additional measures to prevent harm to the civilian population.

Approximately seven percent of all civilian casualties in the Afghan conflict in the first half of 2018 were attributed to air operations. UNAMA recorded a 52 percent increase in civilian casualties – 353 (149 deaths and 204 injured) – from aerial attacks compared to the same period in 2017.

This comes after UNAMA issued a statement on Tuesday saying it had received multiple, credible allegations that on 22 September, aerial ordnance impacted the home of a teacher in the Budrab area of Tagab district of northeastern Kapisa province, killing nine civilians, including four children and three women, with several others injured.

“All the victims from the attack were from the same family, including grandparents and children aged between two and twelve. Five of the six other family members who were injured when their home was destroyed were women and young children,” the statement read.

The incident took place during operations conducted by government forces against Taliban in the area.

“It was not immediately clear whether the strike was carried out by international military forces or by the Afghan Air Force. UNAMA is in contact with both entities, as part of UNAMA’s ongoing independent verification process to establish facts around such incidents and to advocate with parties to improve mitigation measures in future operations to prevent civilian casualties,” the statement said.

However, on Monday night Resolute Support rejected to the claims of civilian casualties in Kapisa. Commander Grant Neeley, a US Forces – Afghanistan spokesman said in a statement to TOLOnews: “During an Afghan army operation in Kapisa, the Afghan forces came under fire from a local mobilization militia.  The Afghan army requested air support. US helicopters were present to provide the support and immediately came under fire from the local militia and returned fire in self-defense, resulting in the wounding of six militia.  As the fog of war lifted and it became clear the militia had fired in error, the wounded militia members were airlifted and they are currently receiving treatment in a US hospital.  We have no indication of non-combatant casualties.”