‘Civilians killed in US bombing raid'

An investigation was demanded today into reports that civilian homes were targeted in a US bombing raid on a village in Afghanistan.

Labour MP Donald Anderson, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, said the evidence was ‘‘very disturbing indeed’’.

American military chiefs said they were ‘‘very confident’’ that the strikes on Niazi Qala were against a Taliban and al-Qaida compound.

But the BBC claims to have evidence that ordinary Afghans were killed in Saturday’s attack.

Among the debris it found on the ground were children’s shoes, school books and blood-stained women’s clothes.

Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that its report ‘‘has the ring of truth’’.

‘‘On the face of it it appears to be a massive failure of intelligence, of checking out that intelligence, and an inquiry is demanded.

‘‘The US always pride themselves, quite rightly, on seeking to defend their own military. I think their allies should demand they have the same stringent tests to protect civilians.

‘‘I would hope that the allies, including Britain, would demand that this sort of incident is fully investigated and the lessons learned.’’

Colonel Rick Thomas, a spokesman for US Central Command, told the programme efforts were made to minimise civilian casualties but the Taliban and al Qaida continued to use them as human shields.

‘‘We have seen a lot of reports that came out of Afghanistan on a number of occasions. Frankly they’ve been outright lies from the Taliban and al Qaida.

‘‘I know just recently there have been claims of civilian casualties but we are very, very confident that the strikes conducted at the end of December were both against Taliban leadership locations ... and those were exactly where our munitions struck.

‘‘It is impossible for us to say there have not been civilian casualties.’’