ASADABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Twenty-two civilians, including women and children, were killed in an air strike by U.S.-led forces on Friday in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nuristan, an official said.
The attack happened on a road in Want district while thenoncombatants were travelling in two vehicles, the districtchief, Zia-Ul Rahman, told reporters.
"The civilians were evacuating the district as they weretold by the U.S.-led troops to do so because they wanted tolaunch an operation against the Taliban," he said.
"The civilians were in two vehicles when killed by the airraid," he added.
The U.S. military confirmed the mission, but said there wasno report of civilian injuries. It said the strike was inresponse to an attack by militants against NATO-ledInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops.
"An ISAF RC-East combat outpost in Nuristan provincereceived indirect fire from militants today. Coalitionhelicopter support was used to locate the militants," it saidin a statement.
"The militants were moving in two vehicles when Coalitionattack helicopters were used to destroy (them) killing thecombatants. No reports of noncombatant injuries" were received,it added.
The incident comes amid an upsurge of violence inAfghanistan in the past two years, the bloodiest period sincethe overthrow of Taliban's government in 2001.
The issue of civilians killed by foreign troops is asensitive one in Afghanistan as it undermines public supportfor the presence of around 71,000 international troops in thecountry and the government of President Hamid Karzai.
In the first six months of this year, 698 civilians werekilled, 255 of them by Afghan government and foreign forces. Inthe same period last year, a total of 430 civilians werekilled, the United Nations said last week.
(Reporting by Rohullah Anwari; Writing by Sayed Salahuddin;Editing by Jerry Norton)
