U.S. Bombs Taliban Bases, Probes Report Afghan Villagers Killed

May 10 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. military said it carried out air strikes on Taliban bases in southern Afghanistan and is investigating reports that at least 21 civilians were killed in the operation.

American-led forces called in air support during the 16-hour battle two days ago in Helmand province's Sangin district, after troops were attacked by more than 200 insurgents, the military said. Women and children were among the dead when war planes bombed a village in the district, Agence France-Presse reported, citing cited Assadullah Wafa, the governor of Helmand province.

``We are still working on confirming reports of civilian casualties through official channels,'' U.S. military spokesman Major Chris Belcher said by telephone today from Bagram airbase near the Afghan capital, Kabul. ``We take every report of civilian casualties seriously and investigate them.''

Afghan President Hamid Karzai last week told NATO and U.S. officials the nation can no longer tolerate civilian deaths after at least 49 villagers were killed in a coalition raid in western Herat province. Such incidents are a set back to Karzai's government and the coalition, which are trying to win the support of Afghans as they seek to quell a Taliban insurgency and stabilize the country.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization spokesman James Appathurai told reporters in Brussels yesterday that any civilian deaths in Afghanistan are ``tragic,'' although he could not confirm villagers were killed in the May 8 U.S.-led operation.

International forces are ``determined to make every effort to minimize civilian casualties and maintain the support'' of Afghan people, Appathurai told reporters.

`Human Shields'

``I think we have to take into account the profound complication of operations in Afghanistan, where the Taliban does not wear uniforms, where they fight out of urban areas, where they fight out of houses, where they do use civilians as human shields,'' Appathurai added.

U.S. Special Forces and the Afghan National Army were attacked with small arms fire, mortar rounds and rocket propelled grenades near the village of Lwar Malazi in Sangin on May 8, the military said in an e-mailed statement.

War planes destroyed three Taliban ``command and control compounds,'' including a tunnel network, according to the statement. One coalition soldier was killed.

U.S. Apology

The U.S. military formally apologized two days ago for a March 4 incident in which American soldiers killed Afghan civilians by opening fire on a crowded highway in Nangarhar province after being attacked by a suicide bomber.

The incident, in which 19 people were killed and 50 others were injured, was a ``stain on our honor,'' U.S. Army spokesman Colonel John Nicholson told reporters.

The U.S. has about 10,000 soldiers carrying out anti- terrorism operations in Afghanistan, including the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and 15,000 under NATO command. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, drawn from 37 countries, has about 37,000 soldiers.

The Pentagon announced yesterday it will keep troop numbers at the same level through 2008. The deployment of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division early next year, to replace troops already in the country, reflects the U.S. commitment to the NATO mission and ``to perform counterterrorism operations, assist with reconstruction and to train and equip Afghan security forces,'' Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters.

At least 230 Afghan civilians were killed last year during U.S. and NATO operations because of lack of precautions or the use of indiscriminate force, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said in a report last month.

Taliban bombings more than doubled last year, compared with 2005, killing at least 669 Afghans, according to the report. Fifty-two civilians died in insurgent attacks in the first two months of 2007.