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'Civilian casualties' in Afghan battle

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- NATO's International Security Assistance Forces said Wednesday it has received "credible reports" of civilian casualties -- including women and children -- from at least one of three fights Tuesday involving government, ISAF and Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan.

"ISAF can confirm that four injured civilians who approached an ISAF patrol have been evacuated and are now being treated in the ISAF military hospital at Kandahar airfield," the ISAF public affairs office said in a written statement.

During the incidents, ISAF killed an estimated 48 members of the Taliban, the statement said.

"We deeply regret any civilian casualties caused," it continued. "ISAF has been informed that the Afghan Ministry of Defense is sending a delegation to the region to investigate these incidents and ISAF will fully cooperate with this investigation. ISAF has already attended a meeting with Afghan officials and tribal elders."

In the first of Tuesday's three attacks, Taliban forces assaulted Afghan National Army and ISAF forces in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, the statement said.

That incident began at 10 a.m., when 30 to 40 insurgents attacked the ISAF patrol base east of Sperwan Ghar with mortar, artillery fire and close air support. Other insurgents then ambushed an ANA convoy, resulting in the deaths of 12 insurgents and wounding of two, the statement said.

The second incident occurred at 7 p.m., when artillery attacked a vehicle moving south of Patrol Base Wilson, killing some 10 insurgents, the statement said.

The third incident occurred when a group of insurgents moving toward Sperwan Ghar at 10:30 p.m. was attacked by air; some 26 of them were killed.

In Paktika Province, in southeast Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan, cross-border activity has re-emerged, reported CNN's Jennifer Eccleston, who is embedded with the U.S. Army.

She said many villagers are not persuaded that the 21,000 U.S. forces and 20,000 NATO forces in Afghanistan suffice to stem a return to power by the Taliban.


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