At least 21 civilians died when U.S. Special Forces carried out airstrikes in retaliation to the militant attacks in southern Afghanistan Wednesday. Reports say more than 200 rebels attacked the US-led coalition force with gunfire and mortars in Sangin of Helmand province. The ensuing fighting killed several militants and also scores of civilians as the militants took shelter in villagers’ homes. Women and children were among those killed in village. The US-led coalition said they had no reports of civilian casualties but said a significant number of militants had been killed. Helmand governor Assadullah Wafa said: Last night, NATO forces carried out an operation in Sangin and as a result of its bombing, 21 civilians, including women and children and men, have been killed. The latest incident brings the number of civilian deaths blamed on NATO foces to 90 in the last two weeks. About 13,000 coalition troops and 37,000 ISAF soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan to fight militants and facilitate reconstruction. The Taliban use to take refuge in civilian areas, resulting in civilian casualties, and it is also difficult to determine if people killed in such air strikes are militants or civilians.