Four Afghan civilians killed in British airstrike
British troops called in an airstrike during an ambush
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Wednesday, 12, Mar 2008 07:45
Four Afghan civilians have been killed in an airstrike by British forces, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
The bodies of two women and two children were discovered after British troops called for an airstrike during a Taliban ambush in the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
"We deeply regret that this incident happened and do everything we can to mitigate this from happening," the MoD said.
It is understood that British forces had been engaged in an intense firefight with the Taliban prior to the airstrike which was directed to an area believed to be where the rebel fighters were operating.
Nato spokesman Brigadier General Carlos Branco confirmed the civilian deaths at a news conference in Afghanistan earlier.
He confirmed the actions of Nato-assisted forces and the MoD later confirmed the presence of British troops.
"During the ensuing fight, two women and two children, part of a group of civilians who were in the vicinity of the action, were killed," Brigadier General Branco said.
"We deeply regret the loss of innocent life and injuries and we are saddened that causalities were caused as a result of a deliberate attack against International Assistance Forces instigated by insurgents."
It has yet to be confirmed whether the aircraft used in the strike was British.