US drone crashes in southern Afghanistan
Iran Press TV
Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:59PM GMT
A drone belonging to US forces has crashed in Afghanistan's troubled southern province of Kandahar, local security sources say.
The aircraft reportedly went down in the Panjwai district on Sunday. Local Afghan officials have confirmed the incident.
This is while Taliban militants have on their Twitter page claimed responsibility for bringing the drone down.
Taliban militants have increased violence against US-led forces in Afghanistan, targeting NATO helicopters and drones.
The US military on the other hand is yet to comment on the incident. Local media reports say the US-led foreign troops have already collected the wreckage of the drone and taken it to a military base.
The United States regularly uses drones for attacks and spying missions in Afghanistan, as well as in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border, among other places.
Washington claims that the airstrikes target militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.
The United Nations says the US-operated drone strikes in Pakistan and some other countries pose a growing challenge to the rule of international law. The UN and several human rights organizations have identified the US as the world's number one user of 'targeted killings,' largely due to its drone attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The airstrikes were initiated under former US President George W. Bush, but have been escalated under incumbent President Barack Obama.
JR/PR
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