Tuesday, 08 Dec, 2009

KABUL: Nato forces killed civilians during an overnight strike on militants in eastern Afghanistan, the Afghan government said.

Nato said only militants were killed.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said that a number of civilians were killed when Nato forces went after a Taliban operative in Laghman province.

Regional officials said 12 Afghans were killed in Tuesday's pre-dawn strike, including some civilians. No one provided an exact number of how many civilians died.

Nato said in a statement that seven militants were killed and four detained the strike, which targeted a militant leader who had been responsible for several suicide attacks in the region.

Hundreds of residents took to the streets to protest the incident. Bashary said an investigation was under way.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-nato-attack-killed-civilians-in-laghman-qs-06