Civilians Caught in Afghan Airstrike

A U.S.-led airstrike on a meeting of Taliban leaders killed a “large number” of civilians, witnesses said. Roughly 50 people were hospitalized for injuries. NATO has said it is considering the use of smaller bombs in order to curtail civilian casualties.

BBC:

“During a sizable meeting of senior Taliban commanders, coalition forces employed precision-guided munitions on their location after ensuring there were no innocent Afghans in the surrounding area,” the coalition statement said.

The coalition gave no word of casualties, but a BBC reporter in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, says about 50 people were admitted to hospital there with injuries.

The injured said they had been at a market when the bombardment happened and that there had been a large number of civilian deaths.

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AP Photo / Abdul Khaleq

A victim of the U.S.-led coalition airstrike. The wounded say they were at a market when the attack occurred.