Over 20 civilians killed in Afghanistan

KABUL - At least 20 civilians were killed during a clash between NATO-led troops and Taliban militants in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, an official said Thursday.

“Between 20 to 30 civilians were killed as Taliban and NATO-led forces clashed in Khogyani district Wednesday,” an official in the provincial capital Jalalabad told Xinhua.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai instructed the interior ministry and the provincial administration to initiate a probe into the incident, a Presidential Palace statement said Thursday.

Some civilians were killed or injured due to an explosion in Hashim Khil area Wednesday night, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the NATO-led force said it had targeted a compound in Khwazakheyl village in Sherzad area of Nangarhar province Wednesday killing several insurgents.