US Terrorists Slaughter 22 Afghan civilians

Afghan authorities say a US-led operation has killed at least 22 civilians, while the coalition forces say they targeted militants.

Local legislators said the Friday night raid in eastern Afghanistan had killed civilians including women and children, AFP reported.

"Their bodies are on the ground. If you do not believe us, you have helicopters and you should come to the area and see that these are civilians," Malik Rahman Gul, a village elder , was quoted by Reuters.

The US military, meanwhile, said it had no reports of civilian deaths.

"There was a ground operation targeting a Taliban commander. A number of militants maneuvered on the force with small arms fire," US military spokesman Colonel Greg Julian said in Kabul.

A coalition statement was later released claiming that the forces had "killed 15 armed militants and detained one suspected militant during an operation to disrupt the Taliban's terrorist network in Laghman province.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly criticized the US-led forces over the issue of civilian death.

The operation came ahead of an expected influx of some 30,000 American troops into Afghanistan to combat al-Qaeda-linked and pro-Taliban insurgents.

US President Barack Obama has said that the new front for the US 'war on terror' will focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. PressTV

US Marines ready to deploy up to 20,000 troops to Afghanistan