Coalition Bombs Kill 7 Afghan Boys

Worsening widespread concerns about civilian deaths in Afghanistan, a U.S.-led coalition bombing killed seven boys yesterday at a compound in the eastern part of the country. The target, which contained a mosque and a school, was suspected of housing Al-Qaeda militants. "We had a misunderstanding," the governor of the province told the AP.

A spokesman said coalition troops had not seen children in surveillance and accused the militants of not letting the children leave the compound. The UN dispatched investigators to look into the deaths. Meanwhile, Kabul police detained a suspect in yesterday's suicide bus bombing that killed at least 35, the highest death toll in an insurgent attack since the 2001 invasion. (More Afghanistan stories.)