Allied Airstrikes Killed Civilians, Say Afghan Officials

KABUL, Afghanistan - A NATO airstrike Thursday on a village near the embattled provincial capital of Lashkar Gah killed between 25 and 30 civilians, Afghan officials in the area said. While NATO confirmed that an air strike had taken place in the area, where Taliban fighters have been battling NATO forces, it said the incident was being investigated and that the command was "unable to confirm any civilian casualties."

Reliable information on the air strike -- whether it caused the casualties, as local officials and residents reported, and whether the number of civilian deaths were accurate -- was elusive. But any substantial civilian death toll would further inflame an Afghan government and public already uneasy over a recent rise in civilian casualties from coalition air strikes. American commanders have acknowledged the war has been going badly in recent months as the Taliban and Al Qaeda have stepped up their campaign of bombings and assassinations.

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