Afghanistan

Airstrike Kills 27 Afghan Civilians

NATO mistook them for insurgents.

A NATO airstrike killed 27 in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan government reported Monday. The incident was not part of the ongoing offensive being conducted by Marines and Afghan soldiers in nearby Marja. The strike, which happened near the border of Uruzgan and Dai Kondi provinces, was condemned by the Afghan cabinet as “unjustifiable.” "Initial reports indicate that NATO fired Sunday on a convoy of three vehicles... killing at least 27 civilians, including four women and one child, and injuring 12 others," the cabinet said in a statement. Large numbers of civilian casualties cost the support of Afghan citizens, which is an increasing problem as Western forces try to win support of Afghans from the Taliban. NATO said the incident is under investigation, and admitted civilians were killed but did not say how many.