Seven children were killed in an airstrike on a religious school in eastern Afghanistan, the US-led coalition said yesterday. It said that the building was believed to house al-Qaeda fighters and accused the terrorists of using children as human shields.

A coalition statement said it had intelligence to suggest that “nefarious activity was occurring at the site”. Major Chris Belcher, a spokesman, said that troops had “surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building”.

“We are saddened by the innocent lives that were lost as a result of militants’ cowardice,” he said.

Major Belcher accused al-Qaeda of using the children as shields. The coalition said that several militants were killed and two others detained in the operation.

The operation, which was backed by Afghan troops, took place late on Sunday in the Zarghun Shah district of Paktika province, to the southeast of the capital, Kabul. On the same day a Taleban suicide bomber killed 35 people in an attack on a bus in Kabul and there was heavy fighting in several provinces, making it one of the bloodiest days since the Taleban were driven from power in 2001.

Akram Akhpelwak, the Governor of Paktika, said that the deaths of the children, who were between the ages of 10 and 16, were the result of poor coordination between coalition forces, who operate independently of Nato, and the Afghan authorities.

He said that local authorities were working constantly with Nato and coalition soldiers to “have better coordination and to not have these misunderstandings, but today we had a misunderstanding and the people will be unhappy”.

Mr Akhpelwak said he was unaware that the coalition would be carrying out the strike. “We will go to the area and discuss the issue with the people and apologise to the people,” he added.

The targeting of a religious school was criticised at a time of increasing concern over civilian casualties.

“This is insulting and it makes the coalition and Nato look bad,” Khalid Farouqi, an MP for Paktika, told The Times. “They bombed a madrassa where there is religious studies going on and they killed innocent children.

“They should share their intelligence. Why are they doing this and bombing innocent children?”

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) says that it takes all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties. “In most cases I have made the decision not to attack lawful targets due to the risk of civilian casualties,” one official said on condition of anonymity.

The death of the seven children follows a suicide bombing in the southern town of Tirin Kot, in Uruzgan province, which killed five young boys on Friday, and the death of a schoolgirl in a Taleban drive-by shooting on June 12.

Major John Thomas, of Isaf, said that there were reports of civilians wounded in three days of fighting in Uruzgan that had killed “a large number” of rebels.

A Dutch soldier and two Afghan policemen were also reported killed.

Lives of misery

61% of Afghan children lack access to safe drinking water

64% lack access to sanitation facilities deemed adequate by the United Nations

47% of Afghan under-5s are not in primary education

28% of boys and 6% of girls attend secondary school

Source: Unicef

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