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Inquiry after deadly Afghan raid US probes Afghan civilian deaths
(about 6 hours later)
Foreign troops in Afghanistan say they believe some civilians were killed in their bombardments in the southern province of Helmand late on Friday. The US-led military coalition in Afghanistan says a number of civilians appear to have died in air strikes in the southern province of Helmand.
Local people say they think more than 50 died, including women and children. Coalition and Nato-led forces, in co-operation with Afghan troops, launched the strikes against Taleban insurgents on Friday.
A spokesman for the US-led military coalition told the BBC an inquiry was under way after an incident involving civilian casualties. Local officials say they believe tens of civilians died but there has been no independent confirmation of this.
Foreign military spokesmen say the coalition led the bombing but it was in support of Nato-led Isaf forces. President Hamid Karzai recently accused foreign troops of acting "recklessly".
Earlier several dozen villagers near the town of Gereshk told the BBC that "foreign forces" had bombed their area for two to three hours late on Friday after earlier clashes with Taleban rebels. The coalition said the latest incident had been sparked when its forces, working with the Afghan national army to clear a river valley, came under heavy insurgent fire, including the use of rocket-propelled grenades.
They believed between 50 and 80 civilians had been killed, including women and children, and said they were bringing the bodies to the local authorities. It said its forces had identified several rebel positions, returned fire and then called in air strikes by the coalition and the Nato-led Isaf, which destroyed all the rebel positions.
The Helmand provincial police chief agreed that there had been civilian casualties and accused the foreign forces of not consulting the Afghan authorities before the bombings. A coalition spokesman said that later the remains of people who appeared to be civilians were found and that these bodies were in the places previously defined as firing positions.
A week ago, after the death of some 25 civilians in the Gereshk area, President Hamid Karzai accused foreign forces of acting recklessly and ordered them to co-ordinate better with his government. Saying he was deeply saddened by any civilian deaths, the spokesman said insurgents were continuing to put women and children in harm's way.
Accounts from on the ground say between 240 and 320 civilians had been killed by foreign forces this year before these latest deaths. 'Rescue'
Foreign forces and the Afghan government say the Taleban often take refuge in civilian areas after launching attacks, ordering people to shelter them. Earlier, Helmand's police chief said the foreign forces had not consulted their Afghan counterparts before launching the air strikes.
But a Nato spokesman denied this, saying the air power was used to help rescue the Afghan army.
The mayor of the nearby town of Gereshk told the BBC there were reports of tens of civilian deaths.
Local people who telephoned the BBC said that as many as 50 to 80 civilians had been killed.
They said "foreign forces" had bombed their area for two to three hours late on Friday.
A week ago, after the death of some 25 civilians in the same district, President Karzai accused foreign forces of acting recklessly and ordered them to co-ordinate better with his government.