US military drone crashes in Afghanistan

Asia-Pacific, News, US May 18, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

An unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the US military has crashed in Afghanistan’s southeastern province of Khost.

A regional official said the drone went down late Monday in Oqbai area of Sabari district, located in the northern part of the troubled province.

The local official also noted that the unmanned aircraft crashed against a mountain due to a technical fault and burst into flames.

Khost borders the tribal regions of Pakistan and is one of Afghanistan’s most volatile provinces.

The United States regularly uses drones for airstrikes 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 airstrikes were initiated under former US President George W. Bush, but have escalated under incumbent President Barack Obama, who has defended the use of the controversial drones as “self-defense.”

The United Nations says the US assassination drone attacks are “targeted killings” that flout international law.

The UN and several human rights organizations have identified the US as the world’s number one user of drones for “targeted killing,” largely due to the aerial attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains across the country.

The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, have remained in the country in what Washington calls a support mission.