An Afghan government commission says a U.S. airstrike this week that American commanders claimed had targeted militants instead killed 47 civilians. The reports of civilian casualties come as American commanders say they are trying to counter the growing threat from insurgents coming across the Pakistani border.
阿富汗政府的一个委员会说，美军这个星期发动的一次空袭造成47名平民死亡，美军指挥官宣称那次空袭的目标是激进分子。与此同时，美军指挥官说，从巴基斯坦越境过来的暴乱分子的威胁在增加，他们在尽力遏制这种威胁。
The Afghan government ordered an inquiry into Sunday's U.S. airstrike after conflicting reports about the attack. Local officials in Nangarhar province said the victims were part of a wedding party and no militants were in the region. U.S. commanders had insisted militants were among the group.
在有关这次空袭出现了相互矛盾的说法后，阿富汗政府下令对美军星期天的空袭进行调查。阿富汗楠格哈尔省地方官员说，空袭的遇难者是参加一个婚礼的民众，当时那个地区没有激进份子。但是美军指挥官坚持认为，参加婚礼的人群中混杂了激进份子。
President Hamid Karzai appointed a nine-member government commission to investigate. After traveling to the region, the head of the commission, Senate deputy speaker, Burhanullah Shinwari, tells VOA that the victims were all civilians.
阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊指定一个9人委员会对此事进行调查。这个委员会的负责人、阿富汗议会参议院副议长欣瓦里在访问该地区后对美国之音说，所有的遇难者都是平民。
He says that they investigated and found in that area 47 people were killed and nine wounded. He said no militants were present and the victims were mainly women and children who were walking to a wedding party.
他说，我们进行了调查，发现有47人被炸死，9人受伤。他说，现场没有激进份子。遇难者大多数是妇女和儿童，他们当时正在前去参加一个婚礼。
U.S. officials say they have not completed their investigation yet.
美国官员说，他们还没有完成自己的调查。
Afghan officials have expressed concern over mounting civilian casualties, as U.S. and NATO forces try to counter a surge in attacks by Taliban forces in recent months.
阿富汗官员对越来越多的平民伤亡表示担心。最近几个月以来，塔利班份子的袭击有所增加，美国和北约部队正在尽力打击塔利班。
Militants safe havens in Pakistan have been blamed for contributing to the spike in violence that made June the deadliest month for coalition forces since the 2001 invasion.
巴基斯坦境内的激进份子藏身地一直被认为是暴力事件激增的原因，这些暴力事件已经使今年6月成为美国为首的联军2001年出兵阿富汗以来伤亡最严重的一个月。
During a visit to Kabul this week, Admiral Michael Mullen said U.S. officials now believe that Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, called FATA, are attracting an increasing number of foreign fighters.
美军参谋长联席会议主席迈克.马伦海军上将这个星期在访问喀布尔时说，美国官员现在相信，巴基斯坦联邦直辖部落地区正吸引着越来越多的外国战斗人员。
"There are clearly more foreign fighters in the FATA, than have been there in the past, and I wouldn't get into any specifics. But what it really speaks to is that that's a safe haven, that's got to be eliminated for all insurgents - not just al Qaida," Admiral Mullen said.
他说：“与过去相比，巴基斯坦联邦直辖部落地区外国战斗人员明显增多。我不想说得太具体。但是这的确说明这里是他们的藏身之处。必须铲除这些地点，不仅仅是针对基地组织，而且要让所有的激进份子无处藏身。”
Coalition forces have responded with aggressive operations. American Marines have recaptured Taliban-held towns in Helmand province. Coalition and Afghan forces are pursuing militants operating near the Pakistani border, and occasionally firing at militants fleeing back into Pakistani territory.
为此，联军采取了猛烈的军事攻势。美国海军陆战队收复了赫尔曼德省一度被塔利班控制的城镇。联军和阿富汗部队还在追剿在靠近巴基斯坦边界一带活动的激进分子，有时他们还向逃入巴基斯坦境内的激进份子开火。
In June, a U.S. airstrike on a border post accidentally killed 11 Pakistani troops. The Pakistani military sharply criticized the attack.
今年6月，美军对边界上一个检查站发动的空袭造成11名巴基斯坦军人死亡。巴基斯坦军方强烈批评了这次空袭。
On Friday, local officials in South Waziristan said mortar shells fired from Afghanistan wounded eight Pakistani troops at a border checkpoint. U.S. and Pakistani military officials have not commented on the reported strike.
星期五，巴基斯坦南瓦济里斯坦地方官员说，从阿富汗发射过来的迫击炮弹炸伤了一个边境检查站的8名巴基斯坦军人。美国和巴基斯坦军方官员都没有对报导中的这次袭击发表评论。 |