Civilians die in NATO air raid, say residents

The details are unclear at this time, but two members of parliament along with locals have reported that civilians were among at least 30 victims of an air strike Monday in Helmand. NATO officials denied the accusation, saying that the air strike killed just 12 Taliban.

Reuters:

Air raid kills civilians in Afghan south-lawmakers

Mar 18 - An air strike by foreign forces has killed more than 30 people, including civilians, in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand, two members of parliament from the area said on Tuesday.

But the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said reports of civilian casualties in the airstrike were wrong. It was not possible to independently verify the conflicting reports due to poor security in the area. ...

The raid happened on Monday in a village in Helmand's Sangin district, Nasima Niyazi, a member of the lower house of the Afghan parliament representing the province, told Reuters.

"More than 30 people have lost their lives and it is said that the Taliban and civilians were amongst those killed," she said. She did not have any more details about the air strike.

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency quoted another parliamentarian from Helmand as saying 60 people had been killed in the strike, but also reported that the provincial police chief said he had no information about the incident. ... (link)

Voice of America News:

NATO Says Afghanistan Air Strike Killed Insurgents, Not Civilians

Mar 18 - NATO is rejecting claims by Afghan residents that several civilians were killed ...

Local lawmakers and Sangin residents said at least 50 people were killed when NATO jets bombed an area where people were playing games.

They said at least half the victims were civilians. ... (link)