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Afghan Official: Coalition Airstrike Kills Civilians in Eastern Afghanistan

06 July 2008


An Afghan boy is treated at a hospital in Jalalabad, after he allegedly got injured by US-led coalition airstrikes in Deh Bala district of Nangarhar province, 06  Jul 2008
An Afghan boy is treated at a hospital in Jalalabad, after he allegedly got injured by US-led coalition airstrikes in Deh Bala district of Nangarhar province, 06  Jul 2008
Afghan authorities say a U.S.-led coalition airstrike has killed at least 22 civilians in the country's eastern Nangarhar province.

Afghan officials say the civilians were attending a wedding party Sunday near the border with Pakistan.  A local official, Shokur Shinwari told VOA's Afghan service that 10 women and 10 children were among those killed.

The U.S.-led coalition says its missiles only struck militants, adding that no women or children were present in the area.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered an investigation into allegations that a coalition aircraft targeting militants killed at least 15 civilians Friday in a remote district of eastern Nuristan province.

A coalition statement, released Saturday, denied that any civilians were killed or injured in that attack.

The United Nations says nearly 700 Afghan civilians have been killed this year in crossfire between Taliban insurgents and foreign forces.  Mr. Karzai has previously called on foreign troops to minimize civilian casualties.

Elsewhere, Afghan officials say three children were injured Sunday when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb near a German police training mission in northern Afghanistan.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.


Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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