Children dead after U.S. airstrike
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A U.S. A-10 aircraft.
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KABUL, Afghanistan -- The U.S military says nine children have been found dead after an airstrike on a suspected terrorist's position in Afghanistan.
The Associated Press said an American A-10 aircraft struck a site south of Ghazni in eastern Afghanistan where a "terrorist" was believed to be hiding on Saturday morning.
Crews reported killing the man, who they believed killed two foreign contractors in October.
But when ground forces went in to verify, they discovered the children's bodies nearby, Army Maj. Christopher E. West told AP.
The U.S. military says it is sending a team to the site to determine if their forces were at fault.
The U.S. troops had collected "extensive intelligence over an extended period of time" and located the suspect at an "isolated, rural site," West said.
While there were houses nearby, he said, the aircraft did not strike them.
"At the time we initiated the attack, we did not know there were children nearby," he said.
"Until we get the investigation results, we can't say what exactly happened."
American officials have been trying to track down remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda sympathizers in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
The blast in Kandahar blew out windows at a nearby hotel.
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The militants have stepped up attacks in recent months, targeting foreign aid workers and perceived allies of the U.S.-led coalition.
On Saturday at least 15 people were wounded after a bomb attached to a bicycle exploded in Kandahar's main square. (Bicycle bomb injures 15)
Kandahar is a former stronghold of the Taliban regime, which was toppled by U.S.-led forces in late 2001.
Taliban fighters have reportedly claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it was meant for U.S. soldiers.
On Wednesday two U.S. soldiers were wounded in Kandahar when a suspected Taliban militant threw a grenade at a U.S. military vehicle.
Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
