'Full investigation' into Afghan attack

'Friendly fire' raid killed 48, injured 117, U.S. confirms

In line with Muslim tradition, the dead from Monday's raid were buried quickly

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Coalition authorities in Afghanistan will launch a formal investigation to find out how U.S. forces unintentionally killed at least 48 civilians and injured another 117 during an air attack over central Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah and Coalition Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Dan K. McNeil released the preliminary findings at a joint news conference in Kabul.

"I believe more formal investigation will expose more facts and lead to changes that need to be made," McNeil said.

U.S. and Afghan investigators arrived Wednesday at the village in Oruzgan Province, scene of Monday's attack.

The village is in an area where the U.S. military has been targeting suspected al Qaeda and Taliban remnants.

The fact-finding teams interviewed Afghan and coalition forces and villagers.

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McNeil said the teams did not see any bodies because they had already been buried, although he confirmed the Afghan government's figures of 48 civilians killed and 117 injured in the attack.

'They are our allies'

The so-called friendly fire incident took place in central Afghanistan Monday, and came in response to what U.S. officials say was anti-aircraft fire coming from the ground.

McNeil said a full investigation -- which he said would take several weeks -- would expose more facts about what occurred, why it occurred and what can be done to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

He added that despite the heavy casualties, village elders who had spoken with investigators understood that deaths and injuries among the civilian population were not intended.

"Fundamentally we are their guests and they are our allies," McNeil said of the Afghan people.

His comments were backed up by Foreign Minister Abdullah, who said Afghans had a "remarkable" understanding of coalition activities because they too wanted to see the country rid of Taliban and al Qaeda remnants.

On Friday President Bush called Afghan President Hamid Karzai Friday and expressed his sympathies for the loss of lives, an administration official said.

The Pentagon said the Afghans were struck by gunfire from an AC-130 gunship which had been fired on, not by an "errant" bomb as initially reported.

Arms found

Kabul has seen protest following the attack urging the U.S. to take more care

The strike occurred near Deh Rawod, an area known to be "of enormous sympathy for the Taliban and al Qaeda," Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

During the past couple of days, a coalition reconnaissance group found a cache that included "15 tons of munitions ... including anti-aircraft weapons" some ten miles from the scene, Newbold said.

One official told CNN that the United States now believes it is a "strong possibility" that the people killed and injured were members of a wedding party as previously stated by local villagers.

They apparently were near the anti-aircraft artillery site, as there are no reports of a building or other facility being inadvertently struck.

"It is not unusual for the al Qaeda or the Taliban to place weapons and ammunition ... in areas where people, civilians are living," Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said.

U.S. investigators also are looking at whether the members of the wedding party may have fired their rifles at the same time or fired the artillery as part of a wedding celebration.

--CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr contributed to this report