tied up, gagged, and killed

"At first, the American-led military command in Kabul said that the two men who died were “insurgents” who had “engaged” — in other words, shot at — the forces at the scene. The initial account also said that the troops then stumbled onto the bodies of three women “tied up, gagged and killed” and hidden in a room. Military officials later suggested that the women — who among them had 16 children — had all been stabbed to death or had died by other means before the raid, implying that their own relatives may have killed them. But the military later said the men were innocent civilians shot after they went outside, armed, to investigate the presence of the forces conducting the raid. Then on Sunday night they admitted that the women were also killed during the raid. Family members said several dozen relatives and friends had gathered at the compound that night for the Afghan equivalent of a baby shower. In an interview, Mr. Yarmand said the raiding party had killed all five Afghans — and then meddled with the scene." (thanks Sarah)