Four Afghan Civilians Killed By RAF Drone

Four Afghan civilians have been killed and two more wounded when an RAF drone targeting insurgent leaders fired on two trucks in Helmand Province.

It is the first time civilians have died in an attack by a British Reaper plane and comes amid growing anxieties over the use of unmanned aircraft in conflict zones.

The group was struck on March 25 after forces tracking the enemy on the ground correctly identified members of the Taliban in two vehicles and signalled for the Reaper to attack.

Its pilots were thousands of miles away at an American air force base in Nevada when they were instructed to fire in the Now Zad district of north Helmand.

But while killing the insurgent commander and an associate, they also struck Afghan civilians who were inside the vehicles.

A "significant" quantity of explosives stored in the trucks was also destroyed.

An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) investigation later concluded the Reaper crews had acted in accordance with "extant procedures and UK Rules of Engagement".

"Any incident involving civilian casualties is a matter of deep regret and we take every possible measure to avoid such incidents," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

"On 25 March, a UK Reaper, operating in support of ISAF forces, was tasked to engage and destroy two pick up trucks.

"The strike resulted in the deaths of two insurgents and the destruction of a significant quantity of explosives being carried on the trucks.

"Sadly, four Afghan civilians were also killed and a further two Afghan civilians were injured.

"There are strict procedures, frequently updated in light of experience, intended to both minimise the risk of casualties occurring and to investigate any incidents that do happen.

"In line with current ISAF policy on alleged civilian casualties, an ISAF investigation was conducted to establish if any lessons could be learnt from the incident or if errors in operational procedures could be identified; the report noted that the UK Reaper's crews actions had been in accordance with extant procedures and UK Rules of Engagement."