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| Afghanistan |
| 50 (Taliban) dead in Afghanistan bombing |
| 2006-05-22 |
| COALITION warplanes bombed a village in southern Afghanistan overnight, killing about 50 people, the US-led coalition and witnesses said today. The coalition said the 50 were Taliban but residents said civilians were among the dead in the strike in southern Kandahar province. One witness said 26 of his relatives were killed and scores of people were wounded. "I can confirm there was a coalition air strike against a known Taliban stronghold near the village of Azizi in the Panjwayi district and we believe more than 50 Taliban have been killed in the operation," coalition spokesman Major Scott Lundy said. An Afghan intelligence officer confirmed the incident and said that at least 27 people were dead. An AFP correspondent in Kandahar city, 35km east of the bombed area, saw severely wounded people being brought into the city's main hospital in civilian cars. Five men arrived in a minibus with severe wounds apparently caused by fallen rubble. Another young man, his clothes burnt, was admitted with bad burn wounds on his head and face. An elderly man from the village, Attah Mohammad, said at the hospital that 26 members of his family had been killed in the bombing and scores more people were wounded. "They started to bomb our village at midnight and continued up to this morning," he said. Major Lundy could not immediately say how long the air strike lasted. The area was sealed off by foreign and Afghan troops, said Mr Mohammad, who had brought some of his wounded relatives to the hospital. |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #5 Villagers should do what they have always done when invaded: run for the hiils. To do otherwise is to get caught up in the fighting. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-05-22 18:37 |
| #4 CentCom follow-up press release seems to address the issue of civilian casualties raised in the AFP article. Sounds like they suspect they did inflict collateral damage but are explaining that it was not avoidable. 'Feels' true to me. COALITION PROVIDES UPDATE ON AZIZI OPERATIONS KABUL , Afghanistan – Coalition forces conducted a significant operation early this morning in the Kandahar region near the village of Azizi that resulted in the unconfirmed deaths of possibly up to 80 Taliban members. This was the third such operation in this area within a week whereby Coalition forces, in support of the Government of Afghanistan, have confronted and attacked anti-government forces. The purpose of this morning’s operation was to detain individuals suspected of terrorist and anti-Afghanistan activities. However, during the operation, Coalition forces encountered organized armed opposition. Ground and close air support assets engaged the extremists, who were firing on Coalition troops and endangering innocent civilians. The Coalition only targeted armed resistance, compounds and buildings known to harbor extremists. Coalition forces must retain their ability to defend against fire emanating from known enemy positions. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2006-05-22 18:32 |
| #3 Of course since they all dress like tribals that all are civilians to the "reporters." Agitprop is QED too. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-05-22 06:11 |
| #2 No, wait! This one's better |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2006-05-22 05:16 |
| #1 Apologies, my browser has been doing wierd things today. Please delete. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-05-22 04:50 |