U.S. blames Taliban for Afghan civilian deaths

A joint U.S.-Afghan investigation confirmed that an unspecified number of civilians died in a southern Afghan battle local officials say killed dozens of villagers, but the initial findings released Saturday appeared to blame Taliban militants who used locals as human shields.

Heavy fighting took place in two villages in Farah province over several hours Monday and Tuesday, a joint statement said. It said U.S. forces responded to a call for help from Afghan forces, and that militants attacked the troops from several locations around the villages.

It said troops called for air strikes on the militant positions. "The investigation suggests that villagers had taken refuge in a number of houses in each village. Reports also indicate that Taliban fighters deliberately forced villagers into houses from which they then attacked ANSF [Afghan security forces] and coalition forces," a statement from the U.S. coalition said.

Neither the U.S. nor Afghan forces took responsibility for killing civilians in Saturday's statement and appeared to lay the blame on militants.

"The joint investigation team strongly condemns the brutality of the Taliban extremists deliberately targeting Afghan civilians and using them as human shields," the statement said.

Abdul Basir Khan, a member of Farah's provincial council, said Friday that he collected the names of 147 people killed in fighting in two villages in Farah's Bala Baluck district.

Other Afghan officials have said dozens of civilians died in the battle, but a U.S. spokeswoman had called such reports "extremely over-exaggerated."