KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 civilians including women and children were killed as Afghan and U.S.-led forces aircrafts pounded suspected Taliban hideouts at a village in north Afghanistan, a local villager said.
The air attack targeted the Buzi Kandahari village in the outskirt of Kunduz provincial capital the Kunduz city.
"Afghan and foreign forces war planes targeted Buzi Kandahari village Thursday morning and resultantly at least 15 innocent civilians including women and children were killed," a villager Hajji Ahmad Jan told Xinhua.
He also added that the villagers took the dead bodies to the provincial governor office as a sign of protest but police blocked the way.
Meantime, another villager who declined to be identified, claimed that 20 civilians including women and children had been killed and some 20 others are missing.
However, security officials disputed the claim, saying all those killed were Taliban insurgents.
"The target was Taliban commander Mullah Mutaqi and in the strikes more than a dozen Taliban fighters including Mullah Mutaqi and three of his sons were killed," Kunduz police chief Mohammad Qasim Jangalbagh told reporters.
Taliban militants, who briefly captured Kunduz city in October, are yet to make comment on the situation.
