At least seven Afghan civilians have been killed during the latest spate of US-led air strike in Afghanistan amid the rise in civilian casualties in the war-torn country.The attack took place in Zarmat district in Paktia province on Saturdayn as a group of Afghan road construction workers were working on a project, a Press TV correspondent reported.
The latest strike comes as reports indicate the number of US-led airstrikes in Afghanistan has hit a record high.
The U-S Air Force has released figures showing that in October alone, a total of 1,000 air raids were carried out across war-ravaged Afghanistan.
US-led forces have repeatedly claimed that the targets of the strikes are militants and their hideouts, but most often they result in civilian casualties.
In another development, a bomb attack close to an Afghan army base in Char Darah district in Kunduz province has also wounded at least 8 people, security officials said on the same day.
The injured include 5 Afghan soldiers and three local women. Some of the victims are reportedly in critical condition.
The bomber used a police vehicle recently stolen by militants.
The upsurge in the number of casualties among US-led foreign forces in tandem with the heavy civilian casualties has provoked a barrage criticism from countries, which have contributed troops to the prolonged Afghan mission.
US-led soldier killed in Afghanistan
Another US-led foreign soldier has been killed in a roadside bomb blast in southern Afghanistan, the Netherlands-based BNO News has reported.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the serviceman was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in southern Afghanistan on Friday.
In line with its usual policy, ISAF has withheld all other details about the bomb attack.
Meanwhile Taliban claimed that In Chaghtu district of Wardag, Taliban battled the US invaders on Friday, opening fire on them getting off their tanks, killing 5 US soldiers.
The latest incident brings the death toll for foreign soldiers based in Afghanistan to 684 this year, eclipsing the previous record of 521 in 2009.
2010 has been the deadliest year of the nine-year war in Afghanistan, with casualties among civilians and foreign troops at record levels, mainly due to an increase in Taliban attacks.
As casualties have risen in Afghanistan over the past few months, public opinion has begun turning against the war in the United States and other countries.
Also, hundreds of civilians have lost their lives in US-led airstrikes and ground operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past few months, with Afghans becoming more and more outraged over the seemingly endless number of deadly assaults.
And this situation is adding fuel to the fire of anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan and the rest of the Islamic world.
Source: Press TV & agencies
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