Kabul, September 04: An Afghan official say a NATO airstrike on two fuel tankers hijacked by Taliban militants in northern Afghanistan has killed 90 people, including 40 civilians.
Police Chief Gulam Mohyuddin says militants seized the two trucks around midnight near the village of Omar Khel in Kunduz province. He says the alliance launched an airstrike as the Taliban fighters had stopped the trucks at a river crossing.
One police official estimated that 90 people were killed, and that 40 were civilians. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity over the issue of civilian deaths in the conflict.
Kunduz Governor Mohammad Omar also said that 90 people were dead — but did not give a breakdown.
He said the dead included the senior Taliban commander for the district, Abdur Rahman, and four Chechen fighters.
“Abudur Rahman is a very dangerous man,” the Governor said.
NATO confirmed that there was an airstrike in Kunduz overnight but gave no details.
–Agencies