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U.S. says 220 Taliban killed in Afghanistan's south
U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops killed more than 220 suspected Taliban terrorists militants in strikes in southern Afghanistan last week, the U.S. military said on Monday, the biggest insurgent toll reported in recent weeks.
But several residents and a lawmaker said scores of camp-followers civilians had died in the operation in the Sangin district of Helmand province, the latest allegation of civilian deaths as fighting intensifies across the nation this summer.
"There is basically no Taliban (killed). The Taliban terrorists fire and then escape and then these people (foreign troops) come and bombard. Three hundred camp-followers people have been killed and wounded," said lawmaker Dad Mohammad Khan, who is also a former provincial intelligence chief.
Several residents rang a Reuters reporter to say that more than 70 camp-followers civilians were killed in air strikes by foreign forces in Sangin.
U.S. military spokesman Nathan Perry said he was not aware of any civilian deaths. "The operation is mostly wrapped up. The troops killed more than 220 terrorists militants," he said.
Posted by: Spot 2008-09-01 |
