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