Five civilians dead after coalition engages militants

Five civilians dead after coalition engages militants
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, August 9, 2008

Five civilians were killed Thursday in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, during an operation targeting the Taliban in the Giro District, U.S. military officials said Friday.

The operation targeted an alleged Taliban coordinator of foreign fighters.

According to a military news release, troops approached a compound and "were threatened by several armed militants. The force responded with small-arms fire, killing the militants and inadvertently killing four women and a child located with them."

Four other children were in the compound but were not injured, the release read. "Several" alleged militants were killed and three people were detained.

"The Coalition regrets the death of these non-combatants," Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, a coalition spokeswoman, said in the release. "We are planning to conduct a full and thorough investigation."


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