Seven suspected al Qaeda die in Afghan clash

KABUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) Seven suspected al Qaeda members were killed in a clash in Afghanistan today, the US military said.

''Seven suspected al Qaeda facilitators were killed today when Afghan and coalition forces conducted an operation on a compound housing suspected terrorists,'' the US military said in a statement.

It did not identify any of those killed in the clash in the eastern province of Kunar or elaborate on what it meant by ''facilitators''.

Provincial Afghan officials had earlier said seven civilians were killed in a pre-dawn air strike on a house in the area.

REUTERS SSC BS1222