Civilian Deaths Reported After Air Strikes in Helmand
August 03, 2007
A U.S. helicopter flies over Helmand Province (file photo) (NATO)
A local police chief, Muhammad Hussein Andiwal, said at least 20 wounded people were admitted to a hospital in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.
However, eyewitnesses there told RFE/RL that dozens of people were killed when aircraft bombarded a shrine in Baghran district on August 2.
A coalition statement said the air strikes targeted a meeting of Taliban commanders "after ensuring there were no innocent Afghans" in the area.
(with material from agency reports)