SHARAN (PAN): Local people Wednesday claimed coalition troops killed more than 35 civilians mostly children and women during an overnight airstrike but the troops confirmed killing only four civilians in the southeastern Paktika province.

Local people said the coalition troops bombed Ibrahim Karez village of Muta Khan District late Tuesday night about 12:00am. Haji Akbar Khan, a resident of the village told Pajhwok Afghan News the troops first bombed the village and started house search breaking open the gates.

It would have killed more than 35 civilians including 13 women and a dozen children and destroyed a number of houses, said Muhammad Nasim, another resident.

"People are busy on searching for missing civilians under the debris" Nasim said.

A number of militants including a top commander had been perished in the bombing, said Police chief Nabbi Jan Mullakhel, adding that civilians have also been killed in the overnight bombing, but he would not give information about the exact number of militants and civilians.

The US-led coalition troops in a statement emailed to this news agency have claimed killing a number of militants including four civilians and wounding one more during the bombing launched late on Tuesday evening.

The statement added the troops have also captured a dozen militants alive during the operation launched for capturing two top militant commanders, but the statement did not give information about fate of the two commanders and their names.

However, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said no one of their militants were killed or wounded during the coalition airstrike. The bombing killed only civilians of the area and no one of militant was in the village, he claimed.

Frm/ajr