American Navy sends aircraft carrier to Gulf of Oman to reduce fly time

AMERICA has moved an aircraft carrier battle group closer to Afghanistan to boost its ability to carry out air-strikes on militants, despite calls from Afghan officials to reduce air-power because of civilian casualties.

The Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its support ships were sent from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, reducing the time it takes to reach targets in Afghanistan, US defence officials said on Tuesday.

Last week, a total of 45 civilians were killed in two separate air-strikes in the east of the country, Afghan officials said.

The district chief of a remote area in Nangarhar province said a US-led bombing raid hit a wedding party, killing the bride and 22 other civilians.

In Nuristan, the province’s governor said a similar air-strike struck two civilian cars, killing 22 people, including women and children.

The coalition denies the alleged killings, but President Karzai has ordered an investigation into the claims.

The UN says the number of civilians killed in the cross-fire between insurgents and security forces in Afghanistan, including foreign troops, soared by almost two-thirds in the first six months of this year compared to the same time last year.

The total number of civilians killed this year has risen to almost 700 from 430 in the first six months of last year, according to the UN.

About 422 civilian deaths were caused by rebels attacking government and military forces, and another 255 died because of Afghan, NATO and US-led attacks on Taliban fighters.

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