40 people killed in Afgan special forces attack in Helmand

Helmand [Afghanistan], Sept 23 (ANI): At least 40 people were killed on Monday in an airstrike and ground assault by Afghan special forces in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Among the dead were the civilians who were the part of a wedding procession that came under fire during the operation targeting a house used by the Taliban, Al Jazeera reported.
However, it is yet to be clear whether this death toll includes the killing of Talibani fighters or not.
In recent times, civilian casualties have increased owing to Taliban suicide bombings and Afghan forces strike at terrorist hideouts.
Earlier, Pahjowk News Agency reported, 14 civilians consisting of women and children, were killed when the vehicle in which they were proceeding for a wedding was caught in an airstrike in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
Last week, at least 30 people were killed and 45 others suffered injuries in a raid conducted by the Afghan security forces, backed by US air support, in eastern Afghanistan.
The strike has come at the time when the Taliban has escalated its offensive in the war-torn nation following the collapse of US Taliban peace talks.
This also comes as elections in Afghanistan are scheduled for later this month. President Ashraf Ghani is seeking his second term.
Taliban has warned its fighters will intensify their campaign against the Afghan government and foreign forces to dissuade people from voting in the September 28 election.
So far at least 305 civilians have been killed by pro-government forces between January and March (ANI)