Afghan insurgents killed in clashes with Nato
US-led coalition forces clashed with suspected militants in central Afghanistan, leaving several insurgents dead and detaining two, a statement from the coalition said.
The troops moved into compounds in Nirkh district, in Wardak province last night after “intelligence sources indicated militant forces were hiding” there, the statement said.
“During the course of operations, militants opened fire on coalition forces,” it said.
The troops returned fire, killing several militants, said Major Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman.
During a search of the area, the coalition troops discovered weapons, ammunition and explosive materials, and also detained two suspected militants for questioning, the statement said.
The clash happened in the same province where on Monday, Nato and Afghan troops called in airstrikes during a battle against insurgents that left 20 suspected militants but also up to 12 civilians dead, officials said.
Nato’s force in Afghanistan said 50 insurgents were trying to set up an ambush and that fighter aircraft dropped two bombs on their position.
Spokesman Major Charles Anthony said soldiers were investigating the incident to see if civilians had perished.
“We’ve been looking since yesterday,” Anthony said. “We still have not gotten any evidence of any civilian casualties. I’m not saying it’s not possible.”
Nato said it killed “numerous” enemy fighters.
Mohammad Hussein Fahami, the deputy head of the Wardak provincial council, said 12 civilians were killed – eight people from one family and four others. Ten civilians were wounded, he said.
Anthony said soldiers had been on the ground to guide the bombs to their targets. He said ISAF has “no evidence” the bombs hit a housing compound.
Some 700 civilians have died in fighting this year, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Afghan and Western officials. About half of those deaths were caused by US and Nato forces.
Maj Zalmay Khan, an Afghan army commander, said 20 enemy fighters died in the joint Nato-Afghan operation. But a governor’s aide, Mohammad Sadiq, said the operation killed 12 fighters and three civilians.
Khan said militants were firing at Afghan and Nato forces from the cover of civilian homes.
Casualty figures from remote battles often vary widely in Afghanistan and are hard to independently verify. US and NATO officials say insurgents commonly force villagers to claim civilian casualties when none happened and that sometimes villagers falsely claim deaths in order to receive monetary compensation.
