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Gunmen kill Afghan MP in Kandahar | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
An Afghan member of parliament has been assassinated in Kandahar province, officials have said. | |
Habibullah Jan was shot dead after visiting an Afghan army base in Zhari district, where Taleban militants have been active, the officials said. | |
He was a military commander in the area before being elected to parliament. | |
The news came as the US and Afghan officials gave conflicting reports of an air strike which locals said had left 22 people dead. | |
The Afghan officials said the dead in eastern Nuristan province were civilians but the US said it had targeted militants. | |
The US military said in a statement that militants had fired mortars at troops from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). | The US military said in a statement that militants had fired mortars at troops from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). |
"The militants were moving in two vehicles when coalition attack helicopters were used to destroy [them] killing the combatants," the US statement said. | "The militants were moving in two vehicles when coalition attack helicopters were used to destroy [them] killing the combatants," the US statement said. |
It said there were no reports of civilian casualties, without giving any other details of militant casualties. | It said there were no reports of civilian casualties, without giving any other details of militant casualties. |
Afghan officials said civilians were in the two vehicles and that 22 people were killed, including a woman and a child. | Afghan officials said civilians were in the two vehicles and that 22 people were killed, including a woman and a child. |
"The civilians were evacuating the district as they were told by the US-led troops to do so because they wanted to launch an operation against the Taleban," a district chief in Nuristan province, Zia-ul Rahman, said. | "The civilians were evacuating the district as they were told by the US-led troops to do so because they wanted to launch an operation against the Taleban," a district chief in Nuristan province, Zia-ul Rahman, said. |
There are about 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, most of them serving under Nato's Isaf command. | There are about 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, most of them serving under Nato's Isaf command. |
More than 8,000 people were estimated to have been killed in insurgent-related violence in Afghanistan last year - the most since the Taleban were toppled in 2001 - Associated Press news agency said. | More than 8,000 people were estimated to have been killed in insurgent-related violence in Afghanistan last year - the most since the Taleban were toppled in 2001 - Associated Press news agency said. |