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Afghan officials: Up to 16 civilians killed in NATO strike

From Matiullah Mati, For CNN
A NATO airstrike in Logar province killed at least nine and up to 16 people the International Security Assistance Force said.
A NATO airstrike in Logar province killed at least nine and up to 16 people the International Security Assistance Force said.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NATO confirms an operation in the area, but not civilian deaths
  • NATO says its troops opened fire when they came under attack
  • An Afghan lawmaker says the attack killed Taliban militants but also civilians
RELATED TOPICS
  • Logar Province
  • NATO
  • The Taliban
  • Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan officials say a NATO airstrike in Logar province Monday killed at least nine and up to 16 people.

The International Security Assistance Force confirmed Tuesday that it had carried out an attack in the Azra district of the province, but "I cannot confirm if there are any civilians killed," said Capt. Justin Brockhoff.

Brockhoff said the joint NATO-Afghan operation was looking for Taliban militants in the area and troops returned fire when they came under attack.

Sifatullah Haqmal, a district lawmaker, said four Taliban militants were killed but the rest were civilians.

Civilian casualties in the war between coalition forces and militants have generated grass-roots anger toward the combatants, and ISAF has been working for years to tackle the problem.