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U.S. Bombing Kills Ten Civilians in Wedding in Afghanistan
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| U.S.
warplanes targeted a wedding northeast Khost.
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ISLAMABAD,
May 17 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – A United States warplane
bombed a village Friday, May 16, in the eastern Afghan province of
Khost, killing at least 10 people and wounding many others at a
wedding ceremony.
The
bombing, which occurred overnight in Bal Khel village in Sabari
district, 30 kilometers northeast of Khost, targeted a wedding that
was in progress in the village, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
During
the wedding, people fired into the air in traditional celebration and
U.S. and AFP claimed the helicopters flying over the area could have
allegedly mistaken it for hostile fire.
A
U.S. aircraft later bombed the area for several hours, AFP added.
The
terrified residents had been confined to their homes by fear and had
not been able, according to AFP, to remove dead bodies and evacuate
the injured to hospitals for some time after the attack.
On
the same day, U.S.-led forces killed a number of Al-Qaeda and Taliban
troops in combat in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktia, a
British spokesman told AFP Friday.
"British
forces supported by U.S.-led forces deployed in the southeast of
Afghanistan to assist the Australian SAS [Special Air Services] who
are engaged in combat," said British commander General Roger
Lane.
He
claimed the fighting was "in an area historically used by Taliban
and Al-Qaeda". He added that some of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda
members have been killed, while there were no casualties on the
U.S.-led forces side.
News
of the fighting comes a day after Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon
admitted the British troops in Afghanistan had been
"frustrated" by the absence of any direct contact with the
enemy.
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