By KUNA,
Kabul : The US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan claimed killing “several militants” in a precision air strike in the eastern Nangarhar province of the country.
“Intelligence revealed a large group of militants operating in Deh Bala district. Coalition forces identified the militants in a mountainous region and used precision air strikes to kill them,” said a statement released here on Sunday.
In a separate statement, the coalition troops said they had killed 12 militants while escaping scene of an attack on a combat outpost in Nursitan province.
The statement is referring to the Friday incident, in which, Governor of the province Tamim Nuristani had told journalists, the coalition troops had killed 15 civilians in an air strike.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, on Saturday, ordered an inquiry into the civilian casualties through his Defense and Interior ministries.
However, the coalition statement said “Coalition forces killed more than a dozen militants following an attack on a combat outpost in Nuristan province.” According to the statement, the insurgents entered two vehicles after attacking the outpost and started traveling away from the firing position.
It added “the helicopter crews coordinated with ground forces to positively identify the militants’ vehicles and then destroyed the two vehicles”.
According to the coalition forces, more than 12 militants were killed in the strike.
“We are aware through media reports that there are allegations of civilian casualties. We are engaging with Afghan officials on this matter,” said the statement.
In yet a third operation, the coalition troops said several militants were killed and two were detained during an operation to degrade militant operations in Ghazni province.
Coalition forces searched several dwellings in Jaghatu district targeting a militant leader. The troops identified and killed several militants with small-arms fire as they maneuvered against the force, said the statement from Bagram base.