By DPA
Jan 12, 2007, 11:23 GMT
Kabul - More than 16 suspected Taliban and 13 civilians were killed in a NATO air raid that targeted an insurgent hideout in southern Afghanistan, a provincial police chief said Friday.
The air strike occurred early Thursday morning in Garamsir district of the volatile southern Helmand province, Gholum Nabi Mullahkhail, Helmand provincial police chief, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
'Based on our information, over 16 enemies of Afghanistan and around 13 male civilians who were held in the compound by the Taliban were killed as a result of the bombardment,' Mullahkail said.
He said that five other civilians from neighboring houses, including women and children, were wounded and were evacuated to a local hospital in provincial capital for treatment.
Several houses in the area were also damaged by the attack, Mullahkhail added.
Major Dominic Whyte, spokesperson for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ISAF in Kabul, confirmed the air strike but played down reports of civilian casualties.
'We don't have any information to support his (police chief's) claims,' Whyte said, adding, 'Our report shows that from 10 to 15 insurgents were killed in that attack.
'He said that ISAF forces on the ground were investigating and details of the incident would be released later in the day.
The Afghan government, the United Nation political office in country and the Afghan human right commission have repeatedly called on international forces to refrain from inflicting civilians casualties during their anti-terror operations.
Over 4,000 people, including 1,000 civilians but mostly insurgents, were killed during an upsurge of violence in Afghanistan last year.
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