News - Afghanistan

At least 13 civilians, including women and children, were killed in a Nato airstrike in central Logar province, local officials said Wednesday.

However, while Isaf reported the airstrike, it said only two civilians were wounded.

Logar provincial spokesman Mirwais Mirzakwal told TOLOnews that a joint Afghan and Isaf security force had launched a military operation in Logar's Baraki Barak district to capture a Taliban commander Sardar.

The troops came under fire while trying to capture the commander and they called in an airstrike, which then killed nine children and four women, he said.

Two Nato soldiers and an Afghan soldier also were wounded in the operation, he added.

Meanwhile, Isaf released a statement saying that a joint Afghan and Isaf troops operation in Baraki Barak on Wednesday sought to detain a Taliban leader.

Isaf said that during the operation, insurgents attacked the Afghan and coalition troops with small-arms fire and a grenade. The security force returned fire and requested a precision airstrike.

"While conducting a follow-on assessment, the security force discovered two women who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The security force provided medical assistance and transported both women to an Isaf medical facility for treatment," it said.

As a result of the operation, multiple insurgents were killed and the Afghan and coalition security force seized several weapons and a quantity of explosives, Isaf added.

A Nato spokesman Major Martyn Crighton told AP that there were no civilians killed in the district operation.