Summary here and here.

Afghan officials launched an inquiry Saturday following reports that as many as 120 civilians and Taliban fighters were killed in a coalition airstrike following an ambush on Afghan and US forces in the country’s south.

The airstrike took place Friday night in Gerishk district of southern Helmand province after an attack began when militants blew up two of coalition vehicles.

Haji Dur Alishah, mayor of Gerishk district, who has been appointed by provincial authorities as the head of a team to investigate the incident, said: ‘We can confirm that 30 civilians including women and children have been killed in the air bombardment.’

Alishah insisted that the figure was preliminary and said an exact number would be announced once the investigation was over. He could not however give any exact death toll for the Islamist extremist Taliban.

Haji Noor Ali, a landlord in Gerishk district told dpa that over 30 civilians including women and children were killed in the airstrike, and that the people planned to take the dead bodies to provincial authorities to prove their claims. Article

And the hits just keep on comin’.

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf received another blow from his critics [Saturday] when Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq called Musharraf’s active support of his favorite political parties as “inappropriate.”

The official made his comment while hearing a petition from a Jamaat-e-Islami delegation comprising Liaquat Baluch, Fareed Piracha and Mian Aslam.

The men criticized the Pakistani leader for making speeches in favor of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League. They also accused Musharraf of rigging local elections.

Baluch asked the commissioner to announce a proper code of conduct for elections. Farooq said he cannot do that and directed the petitioners to take the matter to the country’s highest court.

“We will definitely move the Supreme Court,” Baluch told Arab News. “It is our constitutional responsibility to bring the unconstitutional activities of President Musharraf to the notice of the election commissioner.”

Meanwhile, an Interior Ministry document has warned Musharraf that without “swift and decisive action” the Taleban will soon spread across all of Pakistan. Article