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Afghan Work Crew Bombed

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By AMIR SHAH, The Associated Press

Published: November 29, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO warplanes hunting Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan mistakenly bombed an Afghan road construction crew sleeping in tents, killing 14 workers, Afghan officials said Wednesday.

If confirmed that NATO hit civilians in mountainous Nuristan province late Monday, it would be the first major blunder in months. U.S.- and NATO-led forces drew sharp criticism earlier this year for causing civilian casualties, undermining their reputation among Afghan civilians and hurt U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai's government.

A spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force said the warplanes conducted airstrikes on Taliban fighters in the area Monday night and a militant leader was targeted.

"ISAF was engaged in Nurgaram and Du Ab districts, and in those places we used airstrikes" on Taliban fighters, Brig. Gen. Carlos Branco said at a news conference. "The situation is not clear at all at this stage. We are carrying out the investigation and trying to get a clear picture."

Maj. Charles Anthony, another NATO spokesman said that two bombs were used and there is "strong indication that we got a Taliban leader during the course of the operation."

In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said officials thought the strike may have killed Abdulla Jan, Taliban commander for western Nuristan.

Asked about possible civilian casualties, he said that "the nearest known construction site to where the target area is, is located more than a kilometer a half mile away."

"We did not, nor do we ever, target civilians," he said. "We have no indication at this time that there were anyone other than legitimate targets killed in this operation."

However, Afghan officials said that the bombs hit two tents housing Afghan engineers and laborers contracted by the U.S. military to build a road, killing 14 workers.

"I don't think the Americans were targeting our people," said Sayed Noorullah Jalili, director of the road construction company whose workers were killed. "I'm sure it's the enemy of the Afghans who gave the Americans this wrong information."

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