The US military has admitted killing civilians in an air strike in eastern Afghanistan last week and a provincial governor said 17 villagers including women and children had died. (AFP/file photo)

BEIJING, July 5 -- An Afghanistan official claimed that last week's bombing by US planes of a suspected Taliban compound in eastern Afghanistan killed 17 villagers, including women and children. The US says it regrets the killings of civilians but didn't give the exact number.

    Last Friday's bombing took place in Kunar province, where an elite US military team disappeared last week. Asadullah Wafa, the Governor of Kunar province, said it was not the first bombing by the US troops in this area.

    "According to our information, while the civilians were burying two women killed in the first bombing strike by coalition aircraft, the bombing started again", Wafa said.

    The small special operations unit was reported missing last Tuesday in mountains near the border with Pakistan, setting off an extensive US military search.

    One member of the missing US troop has been rescued.

    Local officials say another member of the team was believed injured but alive in a remote part of the region, being sheltered by local tribal leaders

    A rescue effort the same day ended in tragedy when a transport helicopter sent to search for the team was shot down, killing 16 troops on board.

    It was the deadliest single blow yet to American forces who ousted the Taliban in 2001.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)