Rockets and heavy machines guns fired from Afghan government helicopters killed and wounded at least 107 boys and men attending a religious ceremony near the northern city of Kunduz last month, Reuters reported citing the United Nations report.

On April 2, villagers in Dasht-i Archi district of Kunduz said dozens of people including many children were killed in an attack on a religious ceremony, prompting the UN to launch an investigation.

The UN report underlined the risks of a new strategy, developed with U.S. advisers, which has seen a big build up in Afghan air power, with rocket-equipped helicopters and attack aircraft deployed to try to break a stalemate with the Taliban.

“A key finding of this report is that the government used rockets and heavy machinegun fire on a religious gathering, resulting in high numbers of child casualties,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.

It said at least 36 people, including 30 children, were killed and 71 wounded and there were questions “as to the government’s respect of the rules of precaution and proportionality under international humanitarian law”.