NATO forces in western Afghanistan are meeting with village elders
after receiving reports that an airstrike killed at least nine
civilians, including women and children.
Local residents said the attack also left several Taliban militants dead.
NATO
said one of its aircraft dropped a single precision-guided bomb
overnight in Helmand province's Nad Ali district after an extensive
battle with insurgents.
Officials from the international
military force are in the area to determine the extent of the
casualties. ISAF spokesman, Colonel Wayne Shanks, extended
"heartfelt condolences" to relatives of the civilian victims.
The
top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal,
recently issued new guidelines that limit airstrikes to prevent
civilian casualties.
McChrystal said in London Thursday the
situation in Afghanistan is worsening and foreign forces have limited
time to reverse the momentum.
The general
spoke following the Obama administration's top-level meeting aimed at
forming a new strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan and eliminating
al-Qaida.
The president met with senior military leaders,
Cabinet officials and other advisers in the White House Wednesday.
General McChrystal participated by video link. The White House did not
release details about the talks.
Members of the administration
are reported to be divided over whether to scale back involvement or
add thousands of additional troops as part of a request made by General
McChrystal.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
