More Than 20 Taliban Reportedly Killed In Afghan Fighting

(RFE/RL) June 12, 2007 -- The U.S. military says coalition forces and Afghan police backed by coalition warplanes killed more than 20 suspected Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan.

One Afghan police officer was wounded in the battle, which took place June 11 in Kandahar Province.

In eastern Nangarhar Province on the same day, Afghan police mistakenly fired on a U.S. patrol. The U.S. troops returned fire, killing seven of the police officers in what Afghan and U.S. officials called a "tragic mistake."

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross has called on combatants in Afghanistan to respect the rights of civilians, saying they are suffering horribly from increasing threats to their security that include roadside bombs, suicide attacks, and aerial bombing raids.

In other developments, Afghan officials say armed men on a motorbike fired at girls outside a school in Logar Province, south of Kabul, killing two girls and wounding six others.

(compiled from agency reports)

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