Air strike toll is 'double'

2006-05-26 19:14

Kandahar - An Afghan human rights group says that 34 civilians were killed in a United States air strike on a southern village this week - double the official toll.

The director of the Kandahar office of the Afghanistan independent human rights commission, Abdul Qadar Noorzai, said Afghans who had fled the small village of Azizi told him 25 family members were killed in one mud-brick home.

They said nine were killed in the village's religious school.

About 11 civilians were wounded in total, he said, and villagers reported burying about 35 "unknown people" - meaning militants from outside their area.

The estimate of 34 deaths more than doubles the number of dead civilians given by the governor of Kandahar and President Hamid Karzai.

Karzai said 16 people had died. The US-led coalition said their estimate of the number of civilian deaths was in line with the governor's.

Haji Ikhlaf, a resident of Azizi who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press earlier this week that villagers had buried 26 civilians.

'Ensure civilian safety'

The coalition has said up to 80 militants were killed, although 60 of those fatalities were unconfirmed.

It appeared to be one of the deadliest air strikes since US-led forces ousted the hard line Taliban regime in 2001.

Karzai has called for an investigation into the air strike.

On Wednesday he urged the top US commander in Afghanistan to make "every effort" to ensure civilians' safety.

The US military has said it takes "extraordinary measures" to protect Afghan civilians, but Taliban militants were firing on coalition forces from inside the villagers' homes, and troops had the right to return fire in defence.

Violence in Ghazni province

Noorzai said he hasn't been able to visit Azizi to take a survey of the civilian deaths because security forces surrounding the area won't let anyone in.

Meanwhile, fighting broke out between militants and Afghan security forces in Ghazni province on Friday, said governor Sher Alam.

He didn't know the numbers of fighters involved or any casualty numbers.

Militants have stepped up attacks in Afghanistan's southern and eastern regions, near the border with Pakistan, in the last few months.

The US military says it has seen an increase in the number of Taliban fighters, particularly in the south.

About 339 people, mostly militants have died in violence since May 17.

- AP