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WARNING: This article contains graphic images of children killed in the blast.
AT LEAST 28 people, many of them women and children, were killed when rockets fired by Afghan army soldiers hit a wedding party in southern Afghanistan yesterday.
A further 51 people are said to have been injured in the strike.
The head of the army in southern Helmand province, where the incident happened, said investigations were focusing on whether the house was purposefully targeted by soldiers in checkpoints at least three kilometers (1.8 miles) away.
General Sultan Mahmoud said early investigations indicated that artillery had been fired in the direction of the house from both north and south.
“We are seeing no evidence that the Taliban can fire from that distance, and as the Taliban positions were only one kilometer from the checkpoint, why was it necessary to use artillery that can travel so far,” Mahmoud said.
The incident happened in the volatile Sangin district while guests were awaiting the arrival of the bride at the home of her cousin Abdul Haleem in Sarwankhala.
The tribal leader of Sarwankhalain, Taj Mohammad, presented 35 bodies to provincial Governor Mohammad Naeem, but deputy police chief Bacha Gull said he could only confirm that 28 people were killed.
Looking for his mother
Abdullah Jan (12) said he still doesn’t know where his mother is after being knocked unconscious while running to welcome the bride and waking up hours later in the hospital.
We were ready to go to sleep when my auntie came and said the bride had arrived. My mother went out to see the bride and I was running after her, toward the door when I heard the sound of blast and some bright flash like a fire hit me.
Both his legs were broken and he suffered burns to his belly.
“Then I couldn’t see anything. I heard people shouting and after that I didn’t know what happened. The next time I opened my eyes I was here,” he said.
Sangin, in the poppy-producing Helmand River valley, has been the scene of fighting between government forces and Taliban for the past six months, since US forces departed as part of the transition to Afghan sovereignty.
The international mission to rid Afghanistan of insurgents under the leadership of the United States and NATO officially ended yesterday. Afghanistan takes full responsibility for its own affairs from today.
President Ashraf Ghani marked the country’s transition to full sovereignty after the formal end of the 13-year international military mission in a televised address. He called on citizens to support their security forces in the interests of building a strong and peaceful country.
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I think the concept is great but considering pills don’t protect from STIs and the rise in STIs particularly of Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and genital warts I really think it is counter productive to try to buck the trend of condoms. If anything we should be trying to make condoms more accessible and encourage their use to prevent STIs being spread. Double up pill and condom if needs be but don’t avoid the later entirely. Obviously if you are in a committed monogamous relationship the use of condoms can be re-assessed though that also depends on people getting tested prior to having sex and on the fidelity/condom use of their partners.
Condoms are shite though.
Couldn’t see too many women trusting their fellow to take a daily pill. Have to be in the form of an injection administrated by a medical professionals and I’d say most women would have to witness it themselves.
Your problem is that you’ve forgotten that this isn’t for women – it’s for men.
As it stands, men have to trust that women won’t forget or “forget” to take their pill. If women don’t like having to trust someone else with something so important to them; welcome to our world.
This would be the first temporary contraceptive that men can use unilaterally. It would go some way toward addressing the enormous imbalance that exists in the spheres of fertility and parenting
You seem to be forgetting that it the woman that gets pregnant and all that entails so I don’t think it’s unreasonable on her behalf that she feels fully protected. Also I think you’ll find with an attitude like that you could find the only action you be getting will be with your right hand.
Be a good catholic and pull out
Come again?
This is a very important step towards gender equality! Think about how many forms of contraception are available for women and how many of those options have horrible side effects, short term or long term, because they change hormonal balances in the body. The pill, implant, IUD and Nuvaring to name a few. Great to see the playing field levelled.
Absolutely noway would I ever take any chemical that interferes with the natural process in my balls.
‘Look, it’s perfectly safe, no harmful side effects whatsoever’
Yeah sure.
but yet Jack I bet you expect a woman too.
What a woman does with her balls is her business.
It’s quite different to the female pill, I’d have concerns until good long term research is done. The pill is tried and trusted – but is still known to have caused stroke in some form in some women.
There are women who don’t like the idea of taking it and that’s fine – it’s wrong to criticise a man for having the same concerns.
Men won’t get it. Especially not if they have to go to a doctor to get a prescription. We’re stubborn like that.
Well I must admit this issue always makes me smile and cry. Unless they build into the male pill a deliberate side effect, such as a glowing nose; would you trust a boyfriend who says, “I’ve taken my pill darling”. What exactly do they mean by “a low risk of side effects”. In comparison to the female pill, does it clot the blood less? Mabey it’s just a class two carcinogenic, rather than its female equivalent, which is a class one, up there with asbestos. Or perhaps it dosent have the same effects in reducing libido, and greatly reducing fertility after use. Oh and of course the men don’t actually get pregnant if they slightly get the timing incorrect, actually they don’t get pregnant the 5% of times it fails. Finally is is not the men who will be having the abortion because of failed contraception. At present its just 65%of abortions are attributed to failed contraceptives, it will be sad watching this increase, just because men are willing to lie, and women are willing to believe, those who don’t love them enough to avoid having sex, when they are not willing to have a child together as a result of lovemaking. “O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!”
It makes you smile, yeah? Sure it does.
Let’s be honest here Paddy.
Even if contraception was 100% effective without a single potential side-effect you’d STILL be against it because as far as you’re concerned sex should only occur within marriage and for the soul purpose of procreation so do me a favour and feck off with your false concern as to the long term side-effects of what was probably the best thing to ever happen to women. You don’t care! You probably think an increased risk of some cancers (and actually a decreased risk of others funnily enough) is god’s punishment to those evil women that try to “twart” his plan for them to be brood mares.
@Tricia Golden In reality, someone who finds it necessary to use expletives to make a simple point, don’t need a reply. But the point is that this “medicine”, is deadly, and is the only medicine human beings take to make a perfectly working natural function, stop working. The only medicine we take because were healthy. I believe relationships between men and women are complicated enough, without demanding from our women that they walk the gauntlet of the pill, just because we don’t love them enough to have a child with them. And of course this is “freedom”. I can only hope you don’t feel like that “brood mare” (your expression). I can of course accept your anger in this issue. It (the pill) has of course led to the mass exploitation of one of women’s greatest gifts to humanity. It greatly increased divorce in society, and has led to the breakdowns in society of marriage and family. I wonder, based on our experience to date, will the male pill make us a better, more caring society. Turning this debate to religion, just means there is no reply to the issues I raised. Head in sand, and plough on.
You’re right, I didn’t need a response.
I know precisely where you stand.
In the past.
You and your outdated opinions are (thankfully) being consigned to history.
And the world is a better place because of it.
@ Tricia Golden When I see such astringency towards the views of others, I recognise it as a natural reaction of a people, who know they are been deceived, but are incapable of rising above that which is the source of their angst. What you choose to believe, is your own concern; what I believe is mine. What I believe does not gag you, so carry on. It’s a sad people who believe they know everything, and have nothing to learn from previous generations. It’s also sad that the dangers of the pill are so simply brushed aside, for the convenience of the moment.
Sure Paddy, you know us all SO well.
Think I’ll go and donate to one of those charity’s you hate. You know, the ones that recognise that women are not not only here to procreate.
@ Tricia Golden Do you mean someone like Planned Parenthood (PP). The ones supplying human livers and hearts and lungs, from the non-human human beings? The most under-reported scandal of the past month. It appears from the response by PP, that society really ought to revise the negative portrail of one of films adorable role models, Hannibal Lecter. In a parallel statement PP said they have a wide portfolia of investments, including beans and wines, on the commodities market. “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.” – one purchaser was heard to remark. May God have Mercy on us who fail to cry out at this outrage. But you carry on with your donations!
I HAVE donated to Planned Parenthood in the past and I will again in the future. As someone who plans on donating their body to science I don’t take issue with fetal cells being used to save lives. I hope my body can be used after my death to help as many people as possible.
But no, this time I donated to the Abortion Support Network.
Until I spoke to you today I hadn’t been planning a donation so I’m sure they would like to thank you.
Fortunately, we are all only responsible for our own actions.
No
Would never use it personally. I don’t like the idea of using something that alters the chemistry of my body over a long term.
Would be a great development for the dole class though. Make the men have to use contraception in order to claim their dole. Reduce the amount of scroungers born. Win win.
why not just hammer away? fook contraception
Might still cause pregnancies but cause birth defects, I thought that they already invented this in the U.K. or were testing it. It is a tablet they stick into the male butt like they do for testosterone implants?
have your say