NATO: 4 Civilians Killed In Afghan Strike

Afghan Official Says Separate Coalition Air Strikes Killed 9 Afghan Police

(AP)  NATO said Sunday that its forces accidentally killed at least four civilians in eastern Afghanistan, while an official in the nation's west said foreign troops used air strikes against Afghan police, killing nine. A NATO soldier died in fighting in the east.

The reported civilian and police deaths could damage popular support for the Afghan government as well as for foreign forces operating here. President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with the U.S. and other nations fighting resurgent militants to avoid civilian casualties.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said it was investigating whether three other civilians also were killed Saturday night in the Barmal district of Paktika province when its troops fired two mortar rounds that landed nearly half a mile short of their target.

The alliance said it was providing medical aid to four civilians who were wounded.

"ISAF deeply regrets this accident, and an investigation as to the exact circumstances of this tragic event is now under way," it said in a statement.

On the other side of the war-torn country in Farah province, a convoy of foreign forces showed up in Anar Dara district near the Iranian border and clashed with Afghan police, killing nine of them, said provincial Deputy Governor Younus Rasuli.

He said the foreign troops had not informed local officials they were coming, and the police thought they were enemy fighters. The two sides fought from about midnight until 4 a.m. Sunday, and the foreign forces used air strikes, Rasuli said.

The U.S.-led coalition said it was investigating the report. It said its forces, along with Afghan troops, had retaliated in defense against "a non-uniformed hostile force."

"The combined patrol signaled their status as coalition forces, but continued to receive fire," a military statement said. "Coalition forces then returned small arms fire and engaged the enemy with precision close air support."

Also Sunday, a NATO soldier was killed during fighting in the eastern Khost province, the alliance said in a statement. NATO did not identify the soldier's nationality, but most of the troops in that area are American.

Separately, a mine exploded under a civilian vehicle in Gereshk district in the southern province of Helmand on Sunday, killing three children and wounding four other people, said provincial police Chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal.

Andiwal accused Taliban militants of planting the mine on a road frequently used by Afghan and foreign troops.

On Saturday, militants attacked a police checkpoint in the same district but in the ensuing gunfight three Taliban fighters were killed, Andiwal said. No police were injured in that clash, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense said Afghan troops battled insurgents in the southern Kandahar province on Saturday, killing 18 militants, wounding 25 and detained 15 others.

In neighboring Zabul province, Afghan troops killed nine militants and wounded seven others, the ministry said in a statement.

Neither claim could be independently verified.

Afghanistan faces intensifying militancy nearly seven years after the U.S.-led invasion of the country ousted the hard-line Islamic Taliban movement from power.

More than 2,500 people have died in insurgency-related violence this year in the country, according to an Associated Press tally of official figures.

Most have been militants, but the total includes hundreds of ordinary citizens.

NATO and the coalition insist they take great precautions to avoid civilian casualties.

Commanders accuse insurgents of endangering innocents by launching attacks from residential areas and by carrying out suicide attacks that kill far more bystanders than security personnel.

[feelfree4u]

How many more Afghan civilians must we pointlessly murder before we know that we have "won"?

[tfheringer]

Civilians killed in this war are not the same as civilians killed on 911. These so called civilian causalities are still combatants, because this is a "civil war". Being in the wrong place at the wrong time only applies to 911. Let''s make a parking lot and golf course out of Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

[petro49l]

George W. Bush is wasting his time conspiring with the Saudis against the American Public. He accepted bribes from the Saudis to increase the price of oil. Bush advocates for war in the region. The Saudis should give-up price gouging and war profiteering. Bush will be investigated for political corruption by the next Congress.

[omnibus66]

Simply put, the rules of engagement are: ''Kill ''em all sort them out later''. Civilian deaths can always be explained by calling them ''insurgents'', or ''militants'', or ''it was a miscalculation''.

As it was in Viet Nam, we need a daily body count of the ''enemy'' to impress the folks back home.

As it was in Viet Nam, none of it makes any sense.

[petro49l]

Bin Laden demands more bloodshed. Dead Afghani Civilians, murdered American Soldiers, and killed in battle Taliban must fill the mountains and fields. Osama will reach his objective of clearing villages and filling the land with poppies. Bin Laden would become the ultimate opium warlord. The Saudis want the rank and file Arab eliminated. This would facilitate their expansionism, elitism, and domination of world financial markets.

[ajaxtheleast]

Our obligation is to rebuild Afghanistan.
It isn''t to see that the strongest faction
in Afghanistan doesn''t take it over.

And shouldn''t it be implicit that in the
rebuilding that it''s done with the least
amoung of bloodshed?

Let the Taliban or whoever rule the
country, accept like grown ups the
punishment for the greed of abandoning
total victory in Afghanistan for the
gamble that we could steal all of the
available-to-be stolen oil in the area
and work with them to rebuild it.

Then return to the legal and less
blood-letting tactic of dialog to
improve human rights in other
countries.

[ajaxtheleast]

", , ,and a NATO soldier died when his

high-five missed and he continued forward

down one of afghanistan''s thousand-footers."

[gunfighter51]

I wonder how Barry and the left are going to feel when all these civilian deaths get dropped on your doorstep.

How can you leftist''s vote for a guy that want''s to continue this mess in Afghanistan?

Does''nt make much sense to stop killing civilians in Iraq and start killing them in Afghanistan.

[whiskyrocker]

Neo267
------
Thank you for pointing that minor detail out. People need to read between the lines.

[neo267-2009]

Once again the News Media spreads terrorist propaganda. It was a friendly fire incident initiated BY THE POLICE.

But the News Media only cares about helping the terrorists win. The real enemies are here.