65 Afghanis Killed, 50 Massacred in Kandahar

AP Headline: 2 Children Among 3 Killed During US Military Raid in Afghanistan; 11 Police Die Elsewhere

By FISNIK ABRASHI Associated Press Writer

Nov 1, 2007, 7:27 AM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) --

A nighttime raid in eastern Afghanistan by U.S. and Afghan troops sparked a gunbattle that killed three people, including two children, and the military said Thursday it is investigating the deaths.

Civilian casualties have incited resentment and demonstrations against U.S. and NATO forces, though officials blame militants who use civilian homes as cover during clashes. President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with Western forces to do all they can to prevent such deaths.

(A man) and two children were found dead inside the compound, Belcher said. A woman and another child were wounded, he said.

Also Thursday, Taliban (fighters) attacked a police checkpoint in Nad Ali district, in the southern Helmand province, killing five officers and wounding three others, said Mohammad Hussein Andiwal, the provincial police chief.

There were no reports of (Taliban) casualties, but authorities recovered one of the vehicles used in the attack and an assault rifle, Andiwal said.

In western Farah province, six police officers were killed and two others wounded, and 14 Afghan army troops were missing after clashes with Taliban (fighters) on Wednesday, said governor Muhaidin Baluch.

A large number of Taliban have crossed into Farah from neighboring Helmand province and were still in control of Gulistan district, Baluch said.

Police have battled (Taliban fighters) for three days in the area, and several guerrillas were killed, said Baryalai Khan, a spokesman for the provincial police chief.

In Kandahar province, hundreds of Taliban (fighters) fled from Arghandab district, 15 miles north of Kandahar city, following three days of fighting which left more than 50 (Taliban fighters) dead and hundreds of people displaced, provincial Gov. Asadullah Khalid said.

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Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul and Noor Khan in Arghandab contributed to this report.

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