Source:
LA TIMESNATO rocket strike allegedly kills 9 Afghan civilians
NATO says it targeted insurgents planting a bomb in Helmand province; residents say the victims were working in cornfields and included 3 children. Elsewhere, a U.S. service member is killed.
By Alexandra Zavis and Karim Sharifi
8:59 AM PST, November 5, 2009
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan
North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces said today they were investigating reports that nine civilians were killed in a rocket strike aimed at insurgents in the volatile southern Afghan province of Helmand.
The incident came despite new efforts by international forces to avoid civilian casualties and make the Afghan population feel safe.
Dozens of angry villagers carried the bodies today through the streets of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, before they were dispersed by police firing guns in the air, witnesses said.
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Residents, however, said the victims were civilians working in cornfields and included three children.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan-civilians6-2009nov06,0,5520105.story