US cannot confirm or deny hospital bombing

It has been reported that US sources cannot confirm or deny that American warplanes bombed a hospital in the Afghan city of Herat.

The claims were made by the Taliban today that US and British planes struck the hospital and killed more than 100 people.

The claim was made by the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, who said the dead included patients and hospital staff. He gave no further details.

Zaeef repeated Taliban claims - denied by the Pentagon - that Afghan fighters had shot down an American military helicopter in south-western Afghanistan.

‘‘It is now clear that American planes are intentionally targeting the Afghan people,’’ he said. ‘‘The goal is to punish the Afghan nation for having chosen an Islamic system.’’