Six civilians killed in NATO accident, clash

Six civilians killed in NATO accident, clash
9 hours ago

KABUL (AFP) — The NATO-led military in Afghanistan said Friday six civilians had died after coming into contact with its forces, just days before a new US commander arrives vowing to minimise non-combatant deaths.

The force said four people had died after a traffic accident involving its troops and two others had been killed by mortars fired as soldiers fought back against insurgents.

Thursday's deaths in Kunar province, where most foreign troops are from the United States, happened as incoming commander US General Stanley McChrystal said avoiding civilian casualties would be a priority of his mission.

In the accident, an International Security Assistance Force vehicle and a local truck collided in the Khas Kunar district, an ISAF statement said.

Two civilians were pronounced dead at the scene and two more died later from their injuries, it said. Four others were hurt, with one of them being transferred to the main US base at Bagram, near Kabul, for specialist care.

In a separate incident, two civilians were killed and five injured in Chapa Dara district when ISAF troops retaliated after being attacked by insurgents on Thursday, another statement said.

"Tragically, two Afghan civilians were killed by ISAF mortar rounds fired during the insurgent-initiated engagement," it said.

Kunar is on the mountainous border with Pakistan and troubled by insurgents from radical factions linked to Al-Qaeda.

US troops in the provincial capital, Asadabad, were accused by locals this week of setting off a hand grenade in a crowd, killing three Afghan civilians and wounding 58.

The accusation was rejected by the military, which released a video it said showed its soldiers did not throw the Russian-made device.

The military says insurgents inflate or fabricate claims of civilian casualties to stir up anger against international forces, whom the militants want to leave Afghanistan.

But foreign troops have also killed scores of civilians in error since they arrived in 2001 to throw out the Taliban regime.

The United States has admitted that procedures were not followed in bombing raids last month that it says killed 20-30 civilians, although Kabul says 140 died.

McChrystal, due in Afghanistan in days to take charge of nearly 90,000 international troops based here, told the BBC his priority would be to review all operations to reduce civilian casualties.

The general said that "although an operation may be conducted for the right reason, if it has negative effects it can have a negative outcome for everyone."