April 7, 2013: A NATO airstrike killed 10 children and 8 other people in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan. (Photo: Reuters)
JALALABAD, Afghanistan -- Two Afghan civilians were killed in shooting after the convoy of the U.S.-led coalition forces ran over a mine in the eastern Nangarhar province on Monday, spokesman for provincial government Attaullah Khogiani said.
"A mine planted by militants struck the convoy of foreign forces in Shirgal area of Ghani Khil district this morning and the foreign soldiers in retaliation opened fire and killed two children each eight and 10 years old in the area," Khogiani told reporters.
Without commenting on the possible casualties of foreign soldiers, he added that an investigation has been initiated into the case.
Meantime, the U.S. military in Afghanistan USFOR-A confirmed the incident but rejected killing civilians.
"We can confirm that a convoy with U.S. and Afghan personnel was struck by a roadside bomb and attacked with small arms fire in Nangarhar Province. The convoy returned fire in self-defense and there were no U.S. casualties," the USFOR-A said in a statement.
"We have not received any official allegations of civilian casualties. We take civilian casualties very seriously and all allegations are thoroughly investigated," it said.
This is the second attack on the U.S.-led coalition forces in the eastern Nangarhar province since the weekend.
In the previous attack two American soldiers were killed and two others injured after an Afghan soldier opened fire on them in Achin district of Nangarhar province on Saturday.