Afghan officials say dozens of civilians killed during NATO operation

LAY KUNDI, Afghanistan — Dozens of civilians were killed during NATO airstrikes in a volatile area of southern Afghanistan that was once the heartland of the Taliban, the Afghan government and villagers said Thursday.

NATO said a preliminary review found only 12 civilian deaths, but the Afghan Interior Ministry and local officials estimated between 40 and 85 civilians were killed in fighting in three separate villages.

If the death toll given by local leaders and residents from Tuesday's fighting is confirmed, it would be the highest from an operation involving Western forces since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

In the city of Kandahar, east of the fighting, hundreds of mourners attended a mass funeral Thursday for victims of Tuesday's violence.

"Everyone is very angry at the government and the coalition. There was no Taliban," Abdul Aye, a villager, said through tears at the funeral. He said 22 members of his extended family were killed. "These tragedies just keep continuing."

As many as 70 militants were killed in heavy fighting in Panjwayi, a district in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar province, according to Maj. Luke Knittig, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

But death toll estimates varied widely. Afghan officials estimated up to 60 Taliban fighters and 85 civilians were killed.

Lawmaker Habibullah Khan said 22 people were buried overnight in a mass grave in Mirwisa Mina, a village about 10 miles west of Kandahar.

Knittig said three separate clashes in the same region west of Kandahar city targeted militants attacking aid deliveries and reconstruction projects. Troops used "precision strikes" against insurgents, he said.

"Very sadly, civilians continue to get caught up in these engagements with tragic results," Knittig said.

NATO said a preliminary assessment found that 12 civilians died, although the alliance said it could not determine if they were killed by Taliban or NATO fire.

The Interior Ministry said 40 civilians and 20 Taliban militants were killed, while a Kandahar provincial council member, Bismallah Afghanmal, said up to 85 civilians died. Another government official, who asked not to be named because "it would cause me problems," said at least 60 died.

Afghanmal said Taliban fighters ran into homes, which were then targeted by NATO forces.