In Afghanistan, more than 25 people including 15 militants are reported to have been killed in a NATO air strike in southern province of Helmand. Head of Helmand's provincial council Fazal Bari said local officials estimate 25 people had been killed and the casualty figures could rise because many bodies were still buried in the rubble. NATO officials confirmed there had been an air strike in Helmand province but said initial reports indicated that there were no civilian casualties. They said that the coalition was continuing to look into the operation. An eyewitness said that foreign troops arrived in the village around 2 a.m. and there was a fierce gunfight before the air strike. Civilian casualties are a sensitive issue in Afghanistan with Afghan government urging NATO-led forces to minimize such air strikes.