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Afghanistan
Nine US soldiers killed in Kunar province
Article published on the 2008-07-14 Latest update 2008-07-15 08:12 TU
Nine US troop have been killed in Kunar province after an attack on a military outpost by militants. This comes after Afghan investigations concluded that recent US-led air strikes left 64 civilians dead.
A military outpost was stormed on Sunday by armed fighters in the northeastern province of Kunar. Subsequent fighting left nine US soldiers dead. Fifteen US soldiers and four Afghan troops were wounded in the attack.
A captain from the US-led force described the assault as "well-organised" and "ferocious". Fighting continued for hours leaving several fighters dead.
Correspondent Bronwen Roberts in Kabul told RFI about the attack.
"One Afghan told us that there were 400 to 500 attackers who surrounded this outpost from all four sides and basically stormed it," she said.
Another international soldier died on Sunday in a bomb blast in Helmand province. The soldier's nationality has not been released. Sunday's deaths bring to 133 the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year.
Also on Sunday, six Afghan security guards were killed and two wounded in the south of the country when their vehicle was caught in a roadside bomb explosion.
The latest deaths come as an official Afghan investigation concluded that 64 civilians had been killed in recent air strikes by US-led forces. These occured in early July close to the Pakistan border. A team appointed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that "47 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed" in an attack that struck a wedding party.
The investigation said those killed in the attack in Nangarhar province had no links with armed groups. A further ten people were still missing, it added.
Another investigation into a separate air strike in Nuristan province two days later has also concluded. It says that 17 civilians were killed and nine wounded.
The US-led coalition has denied killing civilians but has said it is investigating the incidents. The United Nations last month said that almost 700 civilians had been killed in Afghanistan this year.
