AKI, October 2, 2009

Deadly bombing targets wedding party in Afghanistan

United Nations said civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by nearly 26 percent during the first half of 2009

Kabul - Two Afghan civilians were killed and two others were injured in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika on Thursday when a bomb exploded at a wedding party, according to a provincial official.

The official said the blast occurred at a wedding party in Paktika's Argun district, the spokesman was quoted as saying.

The attack came the same day that NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) targeted a Taliban position with a precision-guided air strike in southern Afghanistan, killing civilians, the force said.

Civilian casualties are a sensitive issue in Afghanistan, and the top US general in the country, Gen. Stanley McChrystal made protecting Afghan civilians a top priority for international forces in Afghanistan.

McChrystal took command of the 103,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, including 63,000 US troops, in July.

The same month, United Nations said civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by nearly 26 percent during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year.

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