The US military claimed today that 20 civilians and 60 insurgents died in a disputed US-Taliban clash earlier this month, contradicting the Afghan government's assertion that 140 civilians were killed.
Meanwhile, another airstrike by NATO-led forces killed eight civilians yesterday following a clash with militants in southern Helmand province, the military alliance said.
Preliminary findings from the earlier clash could not conclusively determine the number of people killed during the May 4-5 battle in Bala Buluk district of western Farah province, the US military said in a statement.
The clash has soured already tense relations between the US military and the Afghan government. In an attempt to soothe these relations, America's top envoy in Afghanistan joined President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday in extending their condolences to the families of the victims near the site of the battle.
The US military statement said its aircraft destroyed several rural buildings where insurgents were regrouping after the fight, in which some 300 militants had participated.
Col. Greg Julian, the chief US military spokesman, said eight buildings were targeted, and 13 missiles were fired from US military aircraft during the battle.
Investigators found that 60-65 Taliban fighters were killed in the fighting and "at least 20-30 civilians were killed," said Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, a US military spokeswoman.
The statement detailing the findings cautioned that "a review of the physical evidence is inconclusive in determining the exact number of civilian and insurgent casualties."
NATO troops were attacked by a group of 25 insurgents in the Nawa, south of Helmand's capital Lashkar Gah, on Tuesday and they called in air support.
"Tragically, it is believed that eight civilians were killed as a result of the airstrike," the NATO statement said.
It also alleged that militants used the civilians as human shields. NATO said it would not have carried out the airstrike if it knew civilians were in the area.
AP