More than 90 killed in coalition strikes: investigation

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) — An investigation has found that more than 90 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in coalition air strikes days ago, an Afghan government minister told AFP Sunday.

President Hamid Karzai ordered the investigation into Friday's operation in the western province of Herat after Afghan officials said high numbers of civilians were killed but the US-led coalition said only 30 militants died.

The toll is one of the highest for civilians since international troops arrived in Afghanistan to topple the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001 and comes after a string of such incidents, most of them involving air strikes.

"We went to the area and found out that the bombardment was very heavy, lots of houses have been destroyed and...