Insurgents Said Killed in Afghan, NATO Operation in South

Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 12 January

[Presenter] Some 20 enemies of the government have been killed in a NATO air strike on the enemies’ hideout in Garmser District of Helmand Province. In addition, it is reported that 13 civilians have also been killed in the air strike, but the NATO forces dismissed the reports about civilian casualties.

[Correspondent] The police chief of Helmand Province said that residential homes around the enemies’ hideout had also been destroyed and five civilians had been injured in the air strike.

In addition, Mullahkhel [the police chief of Helmand Province] said that 13 men who were detained by the enemies were killed in the air strike.

He did not comment on the identity of the 13 men and added that a delegation including scores of local elders went to the scene to investigate the reports about civilian casualties.

The spokesman for the NATO forces has told the media that civilians had not suffered casualties in the operation. According to him, those who were killed in the air strike were members of the Taleban.

In addition, it is reported that two civilians including a woman have been injured in a NATO firing during a military operation in Chaparhar District of Nangarhar Province. The injured civilians said that they were attacked by the foreign forces, but the spokesman for the provincial governor in Nangarhar Province has said that the Afghan forces had carried out the operation. He added that they shot the suspects when they opened fire on the forces from a residential home. Afghan officials have repeatedly criticized the NATO forces for causing civilian casualties.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.