Islam Times - Afghans still waiting for justice over 2008 US bombing of wedding

Islam Times - On July 6, 2008, a US airstrike in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province turned a wedding into carnage. These people were walking the bride to the groom’s house when there were hit by the US missiles.

The attack left 47 Afghan civilians dead, including women and children. Fourteen years on, relatives of the victims say they are still grieving their losses in what they call a horrific and unjustified attack.

Almost all of the people there, including the bride and her two sisters, were killed, and a few people who were critically injured survived. We were quite far from the hospital and some died on the way to health centers. The attack ruined the lives of dozens of innocent families. We can never forget that bloodshed as we are still bearing its effects.

The attack stoked anger among Afghans. At that time, the Afghan government tasked a group of lawmakers and experts with investigating the incident. A member of that group says that all of the victims were civilians. He says no US military personnel were punished for the killing.

After decades of war on Afghanistan, the US and allies hastily abandoned the country in August 2021. People in Afghanistan associate the US invasion of their country with destruction, night raids and mass killings.

The 20-year invasion of Afghanistan by the US has left Afghans with sad and heartbreaking memories. People here say they will neither forget nor forgive the US crimes and its rights violations in their country.