US-led strike kills 70 in Afghanistan

A US airstrike has reportedly left 70 people dead in southeastern Afghanistan as the war-ravaged country votes to elect a new parliament.

According to Afghan officials, the incident took place in province of Paktia on Saturday when a Taliban convoy came under attack.

Provincial officials say the victims were all militants, however, locals and eyewitnesses say the attack claimed civilian casualties.

This is while Taliban militants have launched sporadic attacks to disrupt the parliamentary election, killing more than a dozen people.

Taliban militants and US officials have not commented on the attack so far.

The loss of civilian lives at the hand of foreign forces has dramatically increased anti-American sentiments in Afghanistan, causing thousands of Afghans to protest against US-led military presence in the country.

Since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, a considerable number of civilians have lost their lives in US-led air and ground operations.