KHOST CITY (PAN): Provincial council members in southeastern Khost province on Thursday closed the council's office in protest against a joint Afghan-international security operation that resulted in the deaths of six civilians.
Six civilians, including women and children, were killed in the Afghan forces led operation that was carried out late on Wednesday in the Tur-i-Ori area. However, NATO said that six Haqqani network fighters, including a female, were killed and a second woman injured during the offensive.
 
The joint force was attacked by several armed insurgents while attempting to clear a compound near a coalition base in the Khost district, the alliance said in a statement. 
 
Khost provincial council chief Murad Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News that the victims were civilians.
 
He said they would continue to protest until the incident was thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators punished. 
 
Thousands of residents of the area brought the dead bodies to Khost city and placed them in front of the provincial council office on Thursday morning.