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Nato bomb 'kills Afghan workers' Nato bomb 'kills Afghan workers'
(about 17 hours later)
A bomb dropped by a Nato plane has killed 12 men working on a road in Afghanistan's north-east, a provincial governor says. Nato planes hunting Taleban militants have killed 12 men from a road building crew in Afghanistan's north-east as they slept, a provincial governor says.
The strike took place in Nuristan province, 180km (112 miles) north-east of the capital, Kabul, said Nuristan governor Tamimi Nuristani.The strike took place in Nuristan province, 180km (112 miles) north-east of the capital, Kabul, said Nuristan governor Tamimi Nuristani.
So far there has been no confirmation or denial by the international forces operating in the country. But Nato and US officials said a local Taleban leader "may have been killed" and the strike was legitimate.
Last week Nato said it had changed tactics to lessen civilian casualties. US officials said the bombs hit a site 1km (0.6 miles) from the workers' camp.
Our correspondent in Kabul, David Loyn, says the governor of Nuristan told the BBC the incident had taken place on Tuesday. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the Nato forces had "acted on credible intelligence from several sources" when they launched the strike.
The mountains of Nuristan are among the highest and most inaccessible in the country, providing smuggling routes across to north-west Pakistan for drugs going out and arms and men coming in, our correspondent adds. "We believe that Abdullah Jan, the western Nuristan Taleban commander, may have been killed in the air strike. We deem it, at this point, a legitimate air strike.
The Taleban have been able to operate there freely in recent years, although there has been heavy fighting during 2007 as US-led forces try to reassert control. "There were no structures, vehicles or any other construction equipment within the vicinity of the impact area," said Mr Morrell.
'Tent hit''Tent hit'
Mr Nuristani told AFP news agency: "We had reports that rebels were there. The governor of Nuristan and the head of the Amerifa Construction Company said his workers had been killed in the incident, which took place late Monday.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Nato had changed its tactics "I don't think the Americans were targeting our people," said Amerifa director Sayed Nurullah Jalili.
"I'm sure it's the enemy of the Afghans who gave the Americans the wrong information."
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Nato had changed its tacticsGovernor Nuristani told AFP news agency: "We had reports that rebels were there.
"There was an air strike by coalition forces but later we found out that 12 people, all local road workers, were killed."There was an air strike by coalition forces but later we found out that 12 people, all local road workers, were killed.
"The road workers were in a tent which was hit by one bomb. All died," he said."The road workers were in a tent which was hit by one bomb. All died," he said.
The governor said the workers were from an Afghan construction firm. Nato has come under increasing pressure over Afghan civilian casualties.
Last week, Nato head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer had said the organisation was doing all it could to avoid Afghan civilian casualties.Last week, Nato head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer had said the organisation was doing all it could to avoid Afghan civilian casualties.
After a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, he said that Nato forces had changed their procedure to reduce the threat to civilians.
Mr Karzai has become more outspoken on the issue under increasing grassroots pressure.
The UN too has expressed alarm at the number of civilians killed by international forces in Afghanistan.