A NATO rocket attack in southern Afghanistan last week killed 52 civilians, including many women and children, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday.
Afghan intelligence services have confirmed that the attack took place last Friday in the village of Regi in the Sangin district of Helmand province, according to a statement from the president's office.
Karzai said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and has ordered an investigation.
But a NATO spokesman says an initial investigation has failed to confirm evidence of civilian casualties from stray NATO rockets in Regi.
The BBC said one of its journalists visited Regi village on the weekend and talked to several people who had seen an attack.
Witnesses told the BBC that dozens of civilians were trying to flee fighting between insurgents and coalition forces in a nearby village when helicopters appeared overhead.
They said several houses where people had been seeking shelter were hit by a rocket.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/07/26/afghan-rocket-attack-nato.html