MORE THAN 40 INSURGENTS, INCLUDING A LOCAL TALIBAN COMMANDER, WERE KILLED AS HUNDREDS OF COALITION TROOPS RECLAIMED A TOWN FROM EXTREMISTS AND U.S. FORCES BATTLED REBELS ACROSS THE SOUTH, OFFICIALS SAID SUNDAY. THE U.S. MILITARY, MEANWHILE, AGREED TO HELP WITH AN AFGHAN GOVERNMENT PROBE INTO REPORTS THAT A COALITION AIR RAID KILLED CIVILIANS MONDAY IN SOUTHERN URUZGAN PROVINCE. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS QUOTED THE U.S. MILITARY AS SAYING IT KILLED 40 EXTREMISTS, BUT WOUNDED RESIDENTS SAID AT LEAST FOUR CIVILIANS DIED. PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI, WHO HAS REPEATEDLY DEPLORED COALITION MILITARY OPERATIONS THAT KILL AFGHANS, ORDERED A SECOND INQUIRY INTO SATURDAY'S AIR ASSAULT IN THE SOUTHERN HELMAND INSURGENT STRONGHOLD OF SANGIN, AS WELL AS WEDNESDAY'S FIGHTING IN NEARBY NAWZAD. AT LEAST 29 INSURGENTS DIED IN BOTH. VIOLENCE ACROSS SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN HAS KILLED ABOUT 800 PEOPLE, MOSTLY REBELS, SINCE MAY, ACCORDING TO AN ASSOCIATED PRESS TALLY OF COALITION AND AFGHAN FIGURES.
