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| A vehicle of the Afghan policemen leaves the police station compound for a routine patrol around the city in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008. Militant suicide bombings and ambushes last year killed more than 900 Afghan police. | ||
An air raid carried out by international troops in southern Afghan province of Helmand Saturday left at least four Taliban militants dead and six others injured including four civilians, Assadullah Shirzad, the provincial police chief told Xinhua.
Shirzad said it occurred at around 5 a.m. (0030 GMT) when a group of Taliban militants ambushed international troops patrolling in Nad Ali district.
"Foreign troops returned fire and called in air strike support," the police chief said. "The militants fled into a civilian house near the battling area when the foreign helicopter kept bombing their target."
Shirzad added two Taliban rebels were wounded and arrested on the spot and the blast also left four civilians in that house wounded.
However, one witness named Farid Ahmad told the Xinhua reporter from the scene by phone that at least 10 members from one same family were killed in the air raid.
"International troops have sealed off that area so that we could not move those bodies out," Ahmad added.
Meanwhile, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force(ISAF) in a statement released later the day confirmed the incident saying the "ISAF is aware of an incident that took place in the area of Nad Ali district of Helm and province this morning where ISAF forces, operating in support of an ANA operation, came under heavy and sustained fire from a clearly identified compound."
"Two targeted air strikes were carried out as a last resort to enable the joint patrol to leave the area safely," it said. "The ISAF can confirm that 2 people were killed and 6 others injured."
However, it said that "the cause and status of these casualties have yet to be established and is subject to investigation."
Spiraling conflicts and Taliban-linked insurgency have claimed more than 5,000 people with over 2,000 civilians so far this year despite over 70,000-strong international troops stationed in strife-torn Afghanistan.
