AHRDO

On May 4, 2009, a United States Air Force B-1 Bomber conducted an airstrike on Granai village in Bala Buluk district, Farah Province, resulting in significant civilian casualties. The incident, sometimes referred to as the Granai massacre, became one of the deadliest civilian casualty events involving international military forces in Afghanistan. The exact number of civilian deaths remains a matter of dispute among various investigative bodies. The Afghan government reported approximately 140 civilian fatalities, including 22 adult men and 93 children. Afghanistan's principal human rights organization concluded that 97 civilians were killed, with children comprising the majority of victims. Other estimates place the civilian death toll between 86 and 147 individuals. An initial investigation by the US military assessed that 20-30 civilians were killed alongside 60-65 insurgents. However, these figures were contested by Afghan authorities and international observers. A subsequent, partially released American inquiry acknowledged the limitations of the investigation, stating that a conclusive determination of the civilian casualty count would not be possible. The United States military accepted responsibility for the airstrike and admitted that significant errors occurred in its execution. Official statements acknowledged that the failure to identify the presence of civilians and to minimize collateral damage resulted in unintended civilian casualties.