Dozens of Afghan civilians killed in air strikes

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-06-2009 15:41

Afghanistan says air strikes called in by US forces killed dozens of civilians sheltering from a battle between Taliban militants and coalition and Afghan soldiers.

More than 30 Afghan civilians were killed in US-led air strikes against insurgents in western Afghanistan, the provincial police chief told AFP on Wednesday.  (AFP/File/Liu Jin)

The fighting began after Taliban fighters massed in Farah province in western Afghanistan on Monday. Villagers say they put children, women and elderly men in several housing compounds away from the fighting.

They say air strikes on those compounds then killed most of them. One official estimates between 70 and 100 people are dead. Civilian deaths have caused increasing friction between Afghanistan and the US.

President Hamid Karzai has long pleaded with US forces to reduce the number of civilian casualties. Karzai will hold talks with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei