Afghan Family of 8 Killed by Coalition Airstrike

Wayward strike further strains Afghan relations
By Mark Russell,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2012 5:13 AM CDT
Afghan Family of 8 Killed by Coalition Airstrike
FILE - In this Nov. 26, 2011 file photo provided by Pakistan's Inter Services Public Relations department, smoke rises after a reported NATO airstrike in Pakistan's tribal area of Mohmand, along the Afghanistan border.   (AP Photo/Inter Services Public Relations Department,file)

A family of eight was killed in a coalition airstrike in eastern Afghanistan late last night, in the latest strain on US-Afghanistan relations, reports al-Jazeera. Local government officials said the man, his wife, and their six children were not affiliated with any anti-government group. "This man had no connection to the Taliban or any other terrorist group," said an official. A coalition spokesman said they were looking into the incident.

Last year was the deadliest yet for Afghanistan civilians, notes the AP, with 3,021 killed, 77% by Taliban and insurgents, and 14% by Afghan and international forces. NATO also reported four coalition troops were killed yesterday. And six insurgents were killed yesterday in joint operations in four eastern provinces. (More Afghanistan stories.)

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