Karzai says 17 civilians killed in US operation in east Afghanistan

Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai says a clash between US-led troops and insurgents in eastern Afghanistan killed 17 civilians, including women and children. The American military insisted all 32 killed in the fighting were militants.

In a statement, Karzai blamed the "terrorists" for using civilians as human shields in their battles with foreign troops, but also repeated a demand that coalition troops stop fighting in Afghan villages.

The US military, however, said that all those killed in Tuesday's battle were militants involved with a bomb-making cell in Laghman province's Alishing district.

Col. Jerry O'Hara, a US military spokesman said, "We held (a meeting) with local government officials after the operation and local Afghan leaders confirmed that all 32 killed in this operation were hostile militants."