A local court in the Netherlands has ruled that Dutch forces illegally bombed a residential complex in Afghanistan in 2007 and ordered the state to compensate the victims financially. The District Court in The Hague found that the attack, which was carried out late at night and claimed the lives of around 20 civilians, was carried out in violation of international law.
A civil suit for damages against the Dutch state was brought by four survivors and the court ruled in their favor.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense claimed the affected walled buildings were being used by the Taliban at the time they were attacked, using attack helicopters and F-16 fighter jets.
At the time, the Netherlands was part of the US-led international coalition fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
However, 12 hours had passed since the Taliban last used the site as a firing point, and judges concluded that the Dutch military did not have enough information to determine with certainty that the apartment complex was a target. military.
In the three days of fighting known as the Battle of Chora, 250 Afghans died, among them between 50 and 80 civilians. Shortly before these battles, the Taliban seized a number of police stations and advanced towards a Dutch military post.
This is the first time that the Dutch state has been held responsible for military action in Afghanistan and the first time that a court has held the state responsible for the bombings.
The decision is of the first instance and the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands has three months to file an appeal.