Britain says Afghanistan's ruling Taleban is making false claims about civilian casualties as a result of the ongoing U-S-led air strikes there.
British International Development Secretary Clare Short called Taleban reports of high civilian deaths propaganda aimed at influencing other Muslim countries to oppose the military campaign against Taleban targets in Afghanistan.
The Taleban have said that at least 200 civilians have been killed since the bombing began on Sunday. But there has been no independent verification of these numbers.
Meanwhile, junior British Defense Minister Lewis Moonie has said the bombing campaign will likely be scaled back for Saturday's Muslim festival marking Prophet Mohammed's acension to heaven.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Islamic Press reports Islamic clerics in the Afghan city of Jalalabad used the weekly Friday prayers as an opportunity to call on followers to fight to the last breath against the United States. One cleric was quoted as saying all Muslims who help America should be killed.
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