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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Air raid 'kills Afghan civilians' | Air raid 'kills Afghan civilians' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Foreign forces have killed at least 21 civilians in an air strike in southern Afghanistan, local officials say. | Foreign forces have killed at least 21 civilians in an air strike in southern Afghanistan, local officials say. |
| Helmand provincial Governor Asadullah Wafa said the deaths came in Sangin district, where Nato-led troops are battling Taleban fighters. | |
| He said women and children were killed when civilian homes were bombed. | He said women and children were killed when civilian homes were bombed. |
| The US-led coalition said one of its troops died in fighting in Sangin but it had no reports of civilian deaths, which have recently caused an outcry. | The US-led coalition said one of its troops died in fighting in Sangin but it had no reports of civilian deaths, which have recently caused an outcry. |
| Carelessness | |
| Mr Wafa said the civilians were killed when planes attacked in support of Nato troops who are trying to drive militants from the lawless, opium-producing region of Sangin. | Mr Wafa said the civilians were killed when planes attacked in support of Nato troops who are trying to drive militants from the lawless, opium-producing region of Sangin. |
| Senate urges Taleban talks Civilian deaths 'shame' US | |
| Western forces have been accused of carelessness over civilian lives when attacking the Taleban and their allies. | Western forces have been accused of carelessness over civilian lives when attacking the Taleban and their allies. |
| In January, Nato said its biggest mistake last year had been killing civilians, and promised to do better. | In January, Nato said its biggest mistake last year had been killing civilians, and promised to do better. |
| Public discontent in Afghanistan is growing over the rising number of civilian casualties and the government's failure to improve the lives of most Afghans. | Public discontent in Afghanistan is growing over the rising number of civilian casualties and the government's failure to improve the lives of most Afghans. |
| A spokesman for the US-led coalition said militants fired guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars at US Special Forces and Afghan soldiers on patrol 25km (15 miles) north of Sangin. Maj William Mitchell told the Associated Press news agency that troops killed a "significant" number of militants. | |
| "We don't have any report of civilian casualties. There are enemy casualties - I think the number is significant," Maj Mitchell said. | |
| Residents of the bombed area are saying that Western troops and Afghan forces are blocking people from entering the area. Correspondents say that casualties in remote battle sites in Afghanistan are almost impossible to verify. | |
| Taleban fighters are often accused of seeking shelter in peoples' homes, leading to civilian casualties, and it is often difficult to determine if people killed in such air strikes were militants or civilians. |