Kandahar, 22 June (AKI) - A United States-led airstrike overnight killed at least 12 members of an Afghan family and 20 Taliban fighters in the volatile southern province of Helmand, provincial police chief Hussein Andiwal said on Friday. As many as 25 civilians died in the raid, including women and children, according to villagers and the district police chief. NATO has confirmed the incident occurred and that casualties were involved, but said it could not confirm if these included civlians.Andiwal said the raid took place as part of an operation against Taliban fighters in Girishk district of Helmand, long a Taliban stronghold. It is the leading drug producing province of Afghanistan, the world's major heroin supplier.
Embattled Afghan president Hamid Karzai has stated his concern at the number of civilians killed in Afghanistan this year during operations by foreign and Afghan forces. These number 230, according to an umbrella body for aid groups in Afghanistan. A series of protests demanding the expulsion of U.S. forces and the resignation of Karzai have been held in recent months over civilian casualties.