At least ten civilians have been killed as US forces clashed with Taliban militants in the troubled western Afghanistan, witnesses say.
According to local residents, the fatal incident took place on Saturday night in Herat province, a Press TV correspondent reported. US forces, however, claim only militants were killed.
The civilian deaths have prompted angry Afghans to take to the streets of Shindand, to protest against the rising number of civilian casualties, which has become a major problem in Afghanistan.
Over 170 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of 2010 -- a 33 percent rise compared to the same period last year.
A report by the UN says over 2,400 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2009, the largest number of civilian casualties since the 2001 US-led invasion.
The US-led the invasion of Afghanistan was launched with the official objective of curbing militancy and bringing peace and stability to the country. Nine years on, however, Afghanistan remains unstable and civilians continue to pay the price.
[Source: PressTV]
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