90 KILLED BY NATO AIR STRIKE IN AFGHANISTAN

Scores of people are reported killed after a Nato air strike blew up two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan.

• The governor of Kunduz province told the BBC that Taliban leaders were among at least 90 killed. Witnesses said locals taking fuel also died.
• Nato said its commanders believed only insurgents were present but that it had reports many civilians were injured.
• Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said an investigation was under way.
• A statement from Hamid Karzai's office said the Afghan president believed that "targeting civilians in any form is unacceptable and [he] emphasised that innocent civilians must not be killed or wounded during military operations".
• The Taliban confirmed to the BBC that they had stolen the tankers, one of which became stuck at a river crossing.
• The Taliban spokesman said that it was decided to empty the tankers and local people arrived to take some of the fuel. At this point, a Nato air strike hit the tankers causing a huge explosion, he said.
• The Nato attack occurred about 7km (four miles) south-west of Kunduz city at about 0200 Friday (2130 Thursday GMT).
• The AFP news agency reported that there were many seriously burned people in a hospital in Kunduz.
• One of the drivers of the tankers told the BBC that two of his colleagues had been beheaded when the Taliban carried out the hijacking.
• Kunduz province Governor Mohammad Omar said most of the dead were Taliban fighters . some of whom were Chechens .

Source: BBC