Three Afghan women killed in NATO-Taliban clashes

At least three women have been killed and four others injured in clashes between US-led forces and Taliban militants in war-torn Afghanistan. Officials in Wardak Province say the women were killed when a rocket was fired into a house in Adam Khel district on Monday. It is not yet clear which side fired the rocket. The Western military alliance has not commented on the incident yet. The developments come days after Taliban launched a "spring offensive" with a series of coordinated attacks on Western embassies in the central diplomatic area and at the parliament in Kabul. Insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan despite the presence of some 130,000 US-led forces in the Asian country. The United Nations announced on February 4 that 2011 was the deadliest on record for Afghan civilians. The death toll rose eight percent compared to the year before and was roughly double the figure for 2007. Military operations by US-led forces have resulted in many civilian casualties and increasing tension between Washington and Kabul. Afghan officials have repeatedly condemned the attacks. The rising number of casualties of US-led foreign troops and Afghan civilians has increased opposition to the Afghan war among NATO member states such as the US and Britain.