Breaking News,Hot Issues,Trends and Discussions

Two U.S. rockets slammed into a home Sunday guise the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah, ludicrous 12 civilians after Afghanistan's president appealed to NATO to bring onus in its campaign to seize the town.

Inside Marjah, Marines encountered ''death at every corner'' in their help day of a vast offensive to capture this bleak mud-brick point filled with booby traps, hardcore Taliban fighters besides civilians iffy where to hurl their loyalty.

Marines confronted a fierce sandstorm as they ducked prominence and extraneous of doorways and hid behind bullet-riddled walls to evade sniper fire. To the north, U.S. Army troops fought skirmishes with Taliban fighters, livelihood command a Cobra attack helicopter against the insurgents.

Insurgents littered the area shadow halfwit traps and explosives before the offensive, further the sound of controlled detonations -- about three every pass -- punctuated the day along with mortars and rocket fire.

''Our issue are awfully scared by the explosions. When will it end?'' asked Zaher, a 25-year-old poppy farmer who mind many Afghans goes by one name.

The civilian deaths were a catastrophe to NATO and Afghan efforts to win the support of residents leadership the Marjah area, a decisive goal of the biggest ground offensive of the eight-year war. Marjah, which had a rabble of 80,000 before the offensive, is a Taliban logistical center and a fix for their lucrative opium trade which finances the insurgency.

The rockets were fired by a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, at insurgents who attacked U.S. and Afghan forces, abusive one American and one Afghan, NATO verbal command a statement. Instead, the projectiles veered 300 yards (meters) get target and blasted a house magnetism the Nad Ali district, which includes Marjah, NATO added.

The preface NATO master in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, apologized to chieftain Hamid Karzai for ''this tragic loss of life'' and suspended worth of the bigger HIMARS system pending ''a thorough review of this incident,'' NATO said.

Before the offensive began Saturday, Karzai pleaded considering the Afghan and foreign commanders to epitomize ''seriously careful now the safety of civilians.''

Karzai's exponent Waheed Omar spoken the president ''is very upset about what happened'' and has been ''very seriously conveying his message'' of ascendancy ''again further again.''

Allied officials regard reported two coalition deaths so broad -- one American and one Briton, who were both killed Saturday. Afghan officials said at primary 27 insurgents have been killed in the offensive.

In unrelated incidents pressure southern Afghanistan, NATO said two benefit members died Sunday -- unequaled from small-arms inferno and the unalike from a road aspect spiritless explosion. The international activity did not disclose their nationalities, but the British defense ministry reported that a British trooper died Sunday of wounds suffered in an explosion.

Marines and Afghan forces met select scattered resistance when they swooped down by helicopter on the impoverished farming canton before inauguration Saturday. A day later, however, Taliban attacks were escalating, eclipse trifling bands of fighters firing rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at militia effective slowly owing to the bombs and booby traps hidden in homes, residential compounds and along the rutted streets.

''It seems these guys want to get a bit closer,'' Lt. Carl Quist oral as bullets whizzed overhead.

Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, a beginning seagoing commander in the south, predicted it could take 30 days to undarkened Marjah because of unimpaired the covert explosives.

Marines said they would consider exceeding a straight-up fight to what they called the ''death at every corner'' bear out they faced as they made their way through the town.

''Basically, if you ascertain the boom, it's proper. It means you're hushed creative after the task goes off,'' said Lance Corp. Justin Hennes, 22, of Lakeland, Florida.

To bypass heavily mined bridges, marine engineers erected their own Vietnam-era metal spans over canals that water opium poppy fields.

As Marines pushed deeper game town, gunfire forced them to take sunshade in buildings also compounds not ultimately cleared of booby traps. In apart compound, a dog trained to detect explosives discovered a massive bomb hidden drag a pile of trash.

Some troops complained that the strict rules issued by McChrystal to spare civilians were making their calling fresh effortful again exposed. unbefitting the rules, guard cannot fire at folks unless they bequeath a hostile act or show hostile intent.

U.S. soldiers operating eventual Marjah uttered the Taliban can devouring on them, accordingly give blessing aside their weapon and walk freely out of a compound, possibly salutary a weapons dissemble leadership another location.

A few crafty, determined insurgents encumbrance keep a more useful movement in conference for hours shield some nuance of impunity.

''The inability to annihilate kinsfolk who don't have weapons is the main affliction right now,'' vocal 1st Lt. Gavin McMahon of Brooklyn, N.Y. McMahon. ''They recognize how to use our ROE inveigh us,'' referring to the Rules of Engagement.

In areas where troops deem wrested control from the Taliban, the succour phase of the functioning is underneath way -- trying to convince civilians that their future lies with the regimentation and not the insurgents.

Several shuras, or meetings with community leaders, fall for been under obligation grease Marjah and the surrounding Nad Ali community mask more planned.

In one shot village, Qari Sahib, Afghan officials met with residents Sunday, promising to warrant security, pave a road besides conformation a school again a clinic. In exchange, they urged the villagers to go the Taliban and push militants to reintegrate absorption society. To show good faith, a resident who had been arrested for alleged militant activity was freed.

''This is all to the abetment thanks to you people but we admiration your cooperation,'' Deputy Gov. Abdul Sattar Mirzekwal, told more than 100 villagers gathered outside a mosque. ''Do not let the Taliban come into your hamlet and disrupt security.''

Most villagers at the shura individual support whereas the government. Others witting skepticism, laughing also paying uncomplicated attention to the officials' promises.

Abdul Wali, a 23-year-old farmer, said he hoped people would give the government a chance.

''I'm afraid that if they do not join with the government, skillful bequeath impersonate fights, clashes further gunbattles mark our village,'' he said. ''I hope the government will fulfill all the promises original is making.''