A recent air strike carried out by international troops deployed
in the country at least killed 80 Afghan civilians in Gereshk
district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, local police
said Sunday.
Foreign air forces bombarded a village Friday night in the
district, where the troops said some Taliban militants were hiding,
district deputy police chief Amanullah told Xinhua.
"So far we have found 80 dead bodies of civilians including
women and children," Amanullah said. "The civilian casualties may
go on to rise as a search for dead bodies is continuing."
The air strike also killed 35 Taliban fighters, he said.
On Saturday, Gereshk district chief Dur Alishah said 65
civilians and 35 militants were killed in the air strike.
The death toll varied as some media reports said 130 people
including civilians and militants were killed, while some even said
up to 180 people lost their lives.
It is difficult to verify the sayings independently as the
incident occurred in a remote and volatile region.
About 37,000 soldiers of the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) and 13,000 US-led coalition troops are
operating in Afghanistan to hunt down militants.
But they have caused civilian casualties in their operations
frequently, critically undermining the Afghan people's support to
them.
Coalition forces said in a statement on Saturday that Afghan and
coalition forces came under heavy fire from militants on Friday
night in Gereshk.
The forces called in coalition and ISAF air support, which
destroyed all enemy positions in the engagement, it added.
"After our forces surveyed the area, there are reports of some
possible civilian deaths," said the coalition spokesman Chris
Belcher. "Remains of some people who apparently were civilians were
found among insurgent fighters."
Over 300 Afghan civilians have been killed by foreign troops so
far this year, according to Afghan officials, local residents and
rights groups.
Foreign forces have complained that Taliban insurgents
deliberately mingle themselves with civilians and therefore
civilian casualties are caused.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has severely criticized foreign
troops this year for their lack of coordination with Afghan forces
during their operations.
Due to rising Taliban insurgency, over 2,500 persons, most of
whom Taliban militants, have been killed in Afghanistan this
year.
(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2007)
