More than 60 people were killed during US attack last week near the eastern Afghan town of Khost, the Afghan Islamic Press reported Sunday in Islamabad. The US Central Command has acknowledged that an errant US bomb damaged a mosque Friday in Khost. The command said it didn't know of any casualties. In its report, Afghan Islamic Press quoted local officials as saying a total of 62 people had been confirmed dead.
Thirty-four of them died in a madrassa, or religious school, the report said. The madrassa was presumably part of the mosque. Nineteen others were killed when a bomb struck a house in the village of Zani Khail 10 kilometers west of Khost, the report said. Nine others were killed elsewhere in Zani Khail, the report added.
US President George W Bush launched the air campaign October 7 after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, alleged architect of the September terrorist attacks in the US that killed 4,500 people.
The US maintains it is not targeting civilians and regrets civilian deaths.
Bureau Report