13 civilians killed in Nato air strike in Afghanistan
Up to 13 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in a Nato air strike on Thursday in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, provincial Police Chief Mohamad Zazai said.
The coalition said those killed were family members of insurgents who also
died in the strike that was called in after Afghan-led
forces came under fire.
The deaths triggered protests blocking the main highway to Kabul nearby, with
civilian casualties in Western military operations extremely sensitive in
war-torn Afghanistan, where the Taliban have waged a decade-long insurgency.
"Unfortunately eight women, four children, and one man were killed in a
Nato air strike on a residential house in Dowamanda district early this
morning," Mr Zazai said, adding that four Taliban-linked Haqqani
militants were also killed.
"The body of a Haqqani commander and three fighters have also been
recovered from the vicinity of the house. A delegation has been sent to
investigate the incident," he said.
A spokesman for the provincial governor confirmed that civilians had been
killed in the incident but gave no further details.
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