'Scores killed' as US planes bomb wedding party

US helicopter gunships and jets attacked a house in southern Afghanistan today while a wedding was underway, killing and injuring scores of people, witnesses and hospital officials said.

The attack occurred inthe village of Kakarak in Uruzgan province, where special forces and other coalition troops are searching for al–Qaida and Taliban fugitives. There were reports that as many as 120 people, including many children were killed or hurt in the two–hour onslaught.

In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman said an air reconnaissance patrol that was flying over Uruzgan province reported coming under anti-aircraft artillery fire. Other coalition aircraft opened fire on the target and at least one bomb went astray.

One survivor, Abdul Qayyum, told reporters at the Mir Wais Hospital in Kandahar that the attack began about 2 am and continued until 4 am, after which US special forces ground troops were in the area.

"The Americans came and asked me 'who fired on the helicopters', and I said 'I don't know' and one of the soldiers wanted to tie my hands but someone said he is an old man and out of the respect they didn't," he said.

Hospital officials said a number of wounded were being brought to Kandahar. Most of the dead and injured were women and children, they said.