At least 62 people, mostly students of a religious school, were killed in US air strikes on the eastern Afghan city of Khost, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported Sunday.
The Pakistan-based agency said the bombs fell in the market area of Khost and a surrounding village during raids on Friday and Saturday.
Citing reports reaching the Pakistani border town of Miran Shah, AIP said the majority of the 34 casualties in Khost were sustained when a bomb hit a madrassa, or Islamic seminary, as its students were saying their evening prayers.
The madrassa, which had belonged to top Taliban commmander Jalaluddin Haqqani, was located near the main bazar in Khost.
US military acknowledged Friday that a 500-pound laser-guided bomb dropped in Khost had suffered a "guidance malfunction," missed its target and damaged a mosque.
The US Central Command said in a statement that it had no details of any casualties.
According to the AIP report, US planes also bombarded Zani Khel village 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Khost, killing at least 28 people, including 19 members of one family whose home was destroyed -- Islamabad (AFP)
