Afghan villagers say airstrike kills more than 100 civilians

Afghan villagers say airstrike kills more than 100 civilians
Wed Nov. 05 2008 8:21:27 AM

The Canadian Press

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — There are accusations that U.S. airstrikes struck a wedding party in southern Afghanistan Monday, killing scores of women and children.

"When the fighting started the jets came and bombed," said Juma Khan, who helped bring his mother and nine other women and children to Kandahar's Mirwais Hospital.

"More than 100 people were killed," said Khan who believed more than 70 had been wounded.

Villager Mohammad Zahir, 35, said Taliban militants had fired on a U.S. convoy near the village in the Shah Wali Kot district and airstrikes later hit a wedding party in the village.

Canadian ground troops operate in the region where the incident took place, but their involvement in the operation could not be confirmed by a Canadian Forces spokesman at Kandahar Air Field.

The alleged airstrikes come only three months after the Afghan government found that a U.S. operation killed some 90 civilians in western Afghanistan. A U.S. report said 33 civilians died in that attack.

more: [link to www.cp24.com]