Six civilians were killed in an international military airstrike in southern Afghanistan, while five Afghan security forces, three private guards and 23 insurgents were killed in incidents elsewhere in the country, officials said Thursday, according to dpa. International force helicopters targeted civilian houses in Tawala village of Shah Walikot district in southern Kandahar province on Wednesday night, Zelmai Ayoubi, spokesman for the provincial governor said. "The airstrike killed six civilians and wounded 14 others," he said, adding that women and children were among the victims. A US military spokesman confirmed that their forces had conducted an operation in the area on Wednesday night, but could not confirm the deaths. He said they were aware of reports of an incident involving civilian casualties and an investigation was ongoing.
