U.S. Military Investigating Whether Hostages Were Killed in Kunduz Air Strike

U.S. Military Investigating Whether Hostages Were Killed in Kunduz Air Strike

The United States is working with its Afghan counterparts to investigate reports that U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan's Kunduz province Saturday killed at least seven hostages held in a Taliban prison (NYT), according to a U.S. military spokesman. A spokesman for the governor of Kunduz said the air strike killed at least sixteen Taliban members and that the militants retaliated by executing the hostages (Bloomberg); Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the air strikes led to the deaths of prisoners. The victims include an Afghan National Army soldier who was recognized by a relative. Earlier this month President Barack Obama authorized an expansion of U.S. forces (Al Jazeera) against suspected Taliban militants in Afghanistan, where the United States officially ended its combat mission in 2014.