NEW YORK, Nov.

LASHKARGAH, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, July 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bayat Foundation laid the cornerstone to begin construction on a 50-bed maternity hospital in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand, Afghanistan's largest province.

Afghan officials in the Lashkar Gah area claim a NATO airstrike killed 25-30 civilians but NATO officials say they can't confirm civilian casualties.

Two Afghan soldiers and at least 23 militants died during a military push to expel Taliban rebels from some southern villages, Afghan defense officials said.

British officials say the four were taking part in an operation near Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province at the time of yesterday's attack.A fifth soldier was also wounded in the blast.Helmand is a stronghold of the Taliban insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan Government and NATO military forces.Meanwhile, Afghan officials say they have launched an operation against hundreds of Taliban militants who took over several villages near the city of Kandahar earlier this week.NATO says Afghan and Canadian soldiers are taking part in the operation in the Arghandab area, where the militants are said to have destroyed bridges and planted mines in preparation for an assault.