Eight civilians and eight Taliban insurgents were killed in clashes in Afghanistan, and four NATO soldiers died in separate attacks, the alliance said on Saturday. A woman and two children were killed in an operation Friday in the western province of Farah as Afghan and international troops were pursuing a suspect accused of bringing foreign militants and weapons into Afghanistan, dpa quoted the alliance as saying. The killings were accidental and occurred when a suspected insurgent vehicle was bombed, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. "We deeply regret what occurred on yesterday's operation," US Colonel Rafael Torres said, adding that an investigation was being conducted into the deaths. Meanwhile an improvised explosive device detonated in northern Afghanistan Saturday, killing five civilians including an Arbaki leader and wounding two more, the coalition said. "IEDs continue to kill and hurt innocent Afghan people who are going about their daily lives," said Torres. Elsewhere, the Afghan-ISAF force also killed six insurgents and detained several suspected insurgents during the operation, the ISAF said. Separately, three ISAF soldier died after insurgents attacks Saturday and another was killed Friday in an attack, all in southern Afghanistan, the ISAF said without providing details about the attacks or releasing the nationalities of the deceased.
