US air strikes leave eight civilians dead in east Afghanistan

US Air Force's strikes in eastern Laghman province of Afghanistan claimed eight lives and wounded 10 others the other day, a local daily reported Tuesday.

"At least eight civilians lost their lives and 10 others were injured after US attack planes raided Alishing district of Laghman province the night before last," Cheragh said in its Tuesday's issue.

Quoting a resident of Alishing district, Gul Khan, the daily added that women and children were also among the victims.

The incident has been reported after a fierce gun battle in the province Sunday between US forces and the insurgents in which, according to US military sources, two US Marines and an estimated 23 militants were killed.

Also on Sunday some 1,000 Afghan notables and chieftains in a meeting with President Hamid Karzai stressed for coordinated operations between US-led coalition troops and Afghan army in suspected areas.

The Afghan government has yet to make any comment on the report while it in the past urged the coalition forces to avoid civilian casualties in hunting for Taliban militants.

In a worse such error bombing 48 people including women and children were killed and about 100 others injured when the US military was pursuing Taliban's chief Mullah Omar in his native province Uruzgan two years ago.