KABUL: Government airstrikes in the north of Afghanistan killed 24 civilians, including children, and wounded six others, witnesses told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The two witnesses contacted by the AP said that most of those killed in Saturday’s airstrikes, which struck the village of Sayed Ramazan in northern Kunduz province, were civilians. The Khanabad district in the province where the village is located is Taliban controlled.
The Afghan Defense Ministry, however, said the airstrikes killed 30 Taliban fighters, but added an investigation was being held into claims that civilians were among those killed.
The airstrikes come as Taliban and government-appointed negotiators are meeting for the first time in Qatar to discuss the future of Afghanistan and an end to decades of war and conflict.
Villagers said an initial airstrike targeted a house belonging to a Taliban fighter, whose home doubled as a check post that stops and frisks people to ensure they are not connected to the government. The explosion set fire to a nearby home, trapping a family inside, said Latif Rahmani who witnessed the airstrikes.
Speaking to the AP by phone, Rahmani said farmers and villagers ran to douse the fire and rescue trapped family members inside when a second airstrike hit, killing many of them.
Rahmani, who said he was working on his house at the time of the airstrike, warned his neighbors against running toward the burning buildings for fear of a second airstrike.
“I yelled at people and told them not to go because maybe there would be another bombing, but they ran to help and to put out the fire,” Rahmani said.
A second witness in the area, Kalamuddin, who like many Afghans uses just one name, said the lone Taliban fighter living in the house that was initially hit had been killed. He said five children were among the 24 civilians that had been killed.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the airstrikes and said the Taliban had no military operations in the area at the time of the airstrike.
The United Nations has harshly criticized both sides in the conflict for the relentless killing of civilians in Afghanistan’s protracted war.
The peace talks in Qatar are part of a US brokered deal with the Taliban that will eventually lead to US withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
In early July, Afghan national army personnel fired mortars into a busy market in southern Helmand, killing 23 people. The Defense Ministry is still investigating the incident.
Also Saturday, at least six rockets were fired at NATO’s Resolute Support base in southern Kandahar. No casualties were reported and no one claimed responsibility. NATO said in a statement that if the Taliban were behind the rocket fire, it could jeopardize the US peace deal in which the Taliban have promised not to attack US and NATO forces.
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Afghan government airstrikes kill 24 civilians – witnesses
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Afghan government airstrikes kill 24 civilians – witnesses
- Sayed Ramazan in northern Kunduz province is Taliban controlled
- Villagers say initial airstrike targeted a house belonging to a Taliban fighter
Ice-cool Rybakina beats Sabalenka in tense Australian Open final
- The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
- Rybakina who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022
MELBOURNE: Elena Rybakina took revenge over world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win a nail-biting Australian Open final on Saturday and clinch her second Grand Slam title.
The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.
It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.
The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.
“Hard to find the words now,” said Rybakina, and then addressed her beaten opponent to add: “I know it is tough, but I hope we play many more finals together.”
Turning to some Kazakh fans in the crowd, she said: “Thank you so much to Kazakhstan. I felt the support from that corner a lot.”
It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.
She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now, with tears in her eyes at the end.
“Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” Sabalenka said ruefully.
Rybakina fights back
With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.
Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.
Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.
Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.
The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.
They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.
The tension ratcheted up and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh’s serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.
Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.
Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.
She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.
At 3-3 the title threatened to swing either way.
But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.
Rybakina sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the match.
The finalists were familiar foes having met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of them.
Sabalenka came into the final as favorite but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women’s tour in recent months.
She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.
Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.
The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.
It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.
The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.
“Hard to find the words now,” said Rybakina, and then addressed her beaten opponent to add: “I know it is tough, but I hope we play many more finals together.”
Turning to some Kazakh fans in the crowd, she said: “Thank you so much to Kazakhstan. I felt the support from that corner a lot.”
It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.
She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now, with tears in her eyes at the end.
“Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” Sabalenka said ruefully.
Rybakina fights back
With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.
Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.
Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.
Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.
The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.
They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.
The tension ratcheted up and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh’s serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.
Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.
Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.
She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.
At 3-3 the title threatened to swing either way.
But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.
Rybakina sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the match.
The finalists were familiar foes having met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of them.
Sabalenka came into the final as favorite but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women’s tour in recent months.
She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.
Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.
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