Heavy civilian toll blamed on U.S. strikes

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 25 (UPI) -- U.S. and NATO military officials in Afghanistan say they are investigating three U.S.-led air strikes this month that allegedly killed at least 78 civilians.

U.N. and Afghan officials say this is one of the deadliest years for civilians since fighting began, the Washington Post reported, with civilian deaths in Afghanistan for the first six months of the year running 40 percent ahead of last year.

More than half of those killed in the three recent U.S.-led air strikes, which occurred in a three-week period in three provinces in eastern and western Afghanistan, were women and children, Afghan and Western officials said.

One air strike in the eastern province of Nangahar claimed the lives of about 47 women and children who were members of a wedding party, the report said.

The civilian death toll has renewed political furor over foreign military operations in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency is intensifying, the Post said.