NATO apologises for 12 civilian deaths in Afghan
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) carried over an air strike on two civilian houses, killing seven boys, five girls and two women. NATO officials said that the air raid was conducted to capture five insurgents, who killed a US Marine.
The joint statement issued by Gen David Petraeus, Lt Gen David Rodriguez and Marine Maj Gen John Toolan said that top priority was to prevent civilian casualties and it took such cases very seriously.
Earlier, Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the deaths caused by NATO air strikes. He called the air strike as a "great mistake" and gave his "last warning to the US troops and US officials in this regard."
"The president called this incident a great mistake and the murdering of Afghanistan's children and women, and on behalf of the Afghan people gives his last warning to the US troops and US officials in this regard," statement released by Karzai's office said.
ISAF
official
said
that
they
had
assigned
a
team
to
find
out
the
issues
behind
the
air
strike
in
Helmand
province.
The
fresh
attack
on
civilians
in
Afghanistan
happened
amidst
surging
protest
against
foreign
troops.
Similarly,
few
days
back
NATO
troops' air
strike
at
night
had
killed
four
people,
including
two
women.
OneIndia News