Rocket attacks kills 4 Afghan civilians

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- NATO rocket attacks, designed to deny insurgents a safe haven, accidentally killed four civilians in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, the alliance said.

The Saturday incident occurred in the province's Sangin district where a NATO patrol had picked up a radio message from a known compound calling for insurgents to converge on the area to attack the patrol, the International Security Assistance Force's said on its Web site.

The report said three others were injured and were being treated at a nearby ISAF facility. The three included two children, who were said to be seriously wounded.

"The (ISAF) patrol identified insurgents with weapons on the roof of the compound preparing to attack and in order to protect themselves launched three rockets all of which hit the target," the ISAF said. "Unbeknown to the patrol, the civilians were inside the compound at the time."

Helmand, a haven for the Taliban insurgents, has been among the areas worst affected by violence in Afghanistan.

Separately, CNN reported 7,000 additional police were posted in and around Kabul in heightened security ahead of the 89th observance of Afghanistan's independence from Britain.