Night Raid in Khataba: Civilian Killings During U.S. Operation in Afghanistan

On February 12, 2010, U.S. Special Operations forces conducted a nighttime raid in Khataba village, in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. The operation targeted a compound believed to be linked to insurgent activity.

During the raid, five civilians were killed inside the home of Daoud Sharabuddin, a local Afghan official. Among the dead were two pregnant women and a teenage girl. Initial U.S. military statements claimed that the women had been killed by insurgents before coalition forces entered the home.

Subsequent investigations, including reporting by journalists and human rights observers, contradicted that account. NATO later acknowledged that coalition forces were responsible for the deaths. The incident sparked anger within the local community and renewed scrutiny over the conduct of night raids by international forces in Afghanistan.

The killings became a focal point in broader debates about civilian casualties, accountability, and the impact of counterinsurgency operations on Afghan families. The case remains one of the most cited examples of controversy surrounding U.S.-led operations during the Afghanistan war.