US Strike Kills 40 at Wedding: Afghans

President Karzai angry; military investigating incident
By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 5, 2008 3:10 PM CST
US Strike Kills 40 at Wedding: Afghans
An AC-130H/U gunship, like the one used in an August strike that claimed at least 30 civilian lives in Afghanistan.   (AP Photo)

A US air strike killed 40 civilians at a wedding party Monday, the Afghan government said today. The US said it was investigating the incident, but would not verify any attack or death toll, the New York Times reports. A Kandahar province official said US forces were fighting with the Taliban in the area, and called in air support, which mistakenly targeted the wedding.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on President-elect Barack Obama “to end the civilian casualties” in a press conference today. “The fight against terrorism cannot be won by bombardment of our villages,” he continued. A doctor at a Kandahar hospital said he had admitted 28 women and children who survived the attack, including the bride.
(More Afghanistan stories.)

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