60 Afghan civilians killed in US air strikes

07/11/06 "Times Of India" -- -- KABUL: At least 60 civilians were killed in air strikes conducted by the US-led coalition forces in southern Afghanistan, said an official on Tuesday.

"The aircraft pounded three villages namely Deh Jauze, Sarosah and Kakrak, 12 km away from Trinkot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, early on Monday. The strikes lasted from 1:00 am to 4:00 am," said Abdul Khaliq, a provincial official.

Around 30 people were injured in the air strikes, he added. Meanwhile, the US military rejected these claims as baseless.

"No, there was no civilian injured, and we have no report to support the claim," said Tamara Lawrence, spokesperson of the coalition.

The US military in a press release issued Monday said that the coalition attacks had left more than 40 extremists dead in villages 10 km away from Trinkot.

More than 1,000 people, mostly Taliban-linked militants, have been killed in the ongoing insurgency since the beginning of this year.

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