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"11:11PM BST 05 Jul 2011
The attack, which was targeting insurgent leaders and revealed by the Guardian, including a Taliban commander who was being tracked on the ground, is the first such time a UK Reaper drone has caused confirmed civilian casualties.
The Reapers, which were being piloted thousands of miles away at a US Airforce base in Nevada, were instructed to attack two trucks after the commander was identified. Two insurgents were killed in the process of the attack, in March this year, but civilians were also in the vehicles.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman last night told The Daily Telegraph: "Any incident involving civilian casualties is a matter of deep regret and we take every possible measure to avoid such incidents.
"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."
He added that an investigation found the Reaper's crews "had been in accordance with extant procedures and UK Rules of Engagement."
RAF drone kills four Afghan civilians - Telegraph
The attack, which was targeting insurgent leaders and revealed by the Guardian, including a Taliban commander who was being tracked on the ground, is the first such time a UK Reaper drone has caused confirmed civilian casualties.
The Reapers, which were being piloted thousands of miles away at a US Airforce base in Nevada, were instructed to attack two trucks after the commander was identified. Two insurgents were killed in the process of the attack, in March this year, but civilians were also in the vehicles.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman last night told The Daily Telegraph: "Any incident involving civilian casualties is a matter of deep regret and we take every possible measure to avoid such incidents.
"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."
He added that an investigation found the Reaper's crews "had been in accordance with extant procedures and UK Rules of Engagement."
RAF drone kills four Afghan civilians - Telegraph
