Red Cross confirms dozens dead in Afghan air strikes

[Zguy28]

Red Cross confirms dozens dead in Afghan air strikes

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090506/wl_nm/us_afghanistan_violence_9

By Sharafuddin Sharafyar Sharafuddin Sharafyar – 38 mins ago

HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Afghan villagers mourned relatives buried in mass graves after U.S.-led air strikes that the Red Cross said killed dozens and local officials said may have killed more than 100 civilians.

U.S. and Afghan officials rushed on Wednesday to investigate the incident, which may overshadow President Hamid Karzai's first meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama since Obama's election.

Villagers who survived the bombing of houses packed with terrified civilians told Reuters by telephone dozens of members of one extended family alone had died. They wept as they spoke of orphaned children and burying loved ones' fragmented remains.

"My son and my daughter in-law have been killed and left me with a 13-month-old baby," said Gul Bibi from Geraani village.

"Their remains were buried in a mass grave with others, and I didn't even have a chance to see his face for the last time because his body was blown apart," she sobbed.

The bombings, that lasted around an hour, killed 50 members of neighbor Sayed Azam's extended family, Azam told Reuters.

"There were Taliban in the area, and fierce fighting during the day but it ended when it was dark. People thought the fighting was over when suddenly bombings began," he said.

Rohul Amin, governor of Farah province, where the bombing took place late on Monday and fighting raged into Tuesday, said he feared 100 civilians had been killed. Provincial police chief Abdul Ghafar Watandar said the death toll could be even higher.

If confirmed, those even higher figures could make the incident the single deadliest for Afghan civilians since the campaign to topple the Taliban in 2001.

Rest of article at the link

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I hate reading stuff like this. I couldn't imagine the grief if that happened to my family.

[wantarace17]

not good for us. we need more boots on the ground.