2 Afghan Women Killed by Foreign Forces, 3 Policemen Dead in Bus Bomb

Two Afghan women were killed in an operation in eastern Afghanistan that also left 17 insurgents dead, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) told Agence France Presse on Thursday.

Local officials had previously said that two women and a child died in the fighting late Tuesday in the Dangam district of Kunar province.

In a statement, ISAF said that as its troops were clearing a compound, they were fired upon while someone trained a spotlight in their direction.

"The security forces returned fire, killing the insurgent and what turned out to be two women he was hiding behind," an ISAF statement said.

It added that during the operation, ISAF troops "killed 17 insurgents including foreign fighters and detained one suspected insurgent while searching for an al-Qaida senior leader.”

The issue of civilian casualties is a cause of serious tension between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers and is highly sensitive in Afghanistan, triggering frequent protests.

Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, has seen a string of civilian casualties as foreign forces target insurgents, including the deaths of nine children in another air strike for which the U.S. apologized last month.

In another incident three policemen were killed and six others wounded when a bomb planted inside their minibus exploded in eastern Afghanistan, local officials told AFP.

The blast claimed by the Taliban took place in Jalalabad, the de facto capital of eastern Afghanistan, which borders Pakistan and frequently witnesses heavy fighting.

Militants have launched a string of recent attacks against Afghan security forces, who are due to take increased responsibility from foreign troops as they withdraw in a transition due to conclude in 2014.

"The explosive material was set in the bus and went off when the policemen were heading to work" Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, provincial spokesman told AFP.

He added that an investigation had been launched.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.

"All of the casualties we have received are police officers," A spokesman for the local provincial hospital, Dr. Sayed Afandi Sayed, said. "The condition of the injured is normal and is not critical."

An AFP reporter at the scene said that pieces of flesh were scattered around the totally destroyed vehicle.

He added that foreign troops plus Afghan army and police were at the scene and the area had been cordoned off.

International forces are due to start limited withdrawals from eight safer areas of Afghanistan from July.