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Grisly Attack on Civilians Reported in Southern Afghanistan

   VOA News 25 June 2010

   Afghan police say they have found the mutilated bodies of 11 civilians
   in   a  field  in  the  southern  part  of  the  country.  Authorities
   immediately blamed Taliban insurgents for the killings.
   The  discovery  was  made  in  the  Khas  Uruzgan  district of Uruzgan
   province.   Local  officials  said  some  of  the  victims  had  been
   decapitated.
   The Associated Press quotes a deputy provincial police chief as saying
   the  Taliban  carried out the killings after accusing the civilians of
   spying or working for the Afghan government.
   Meanwhile,  NATO  said two more of its troops died in other attacks in
   Afghanistan's eastern and southern provinces.
   News  reports  indicate  at  least  81  U.S. and NATO troops have been
   killed  this  month - the worst casualty toll for international forces
   in Afghanistan since the conflict began in 2001.
   NATO  reported  its  troops  killed  a mid-level Taliban commander and
   several  insurgents  during  an  operation  in  Kandahar  province  on
   Thursday.  The Taliban commander, known as Faizullah, was responsible
   for  numerous roadside bombings and linked to the death of a coalition
   soldier in March.
   Militants  have  been  increasing  attacks ahead of a planned military
   effort  by  NATO  to drive Taliban insurgents out of southern Kandahar
   city and surrounding areas.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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