ISAF apologises for civilian deaths
Afghanistan :
Foreign forces in Afghanistan apologised Monday for the deaths of
nine Afghan civilians after President Hamid Karzai criticised an air
strike which he and officials said killed 14, including children. The
statement said that the strike in the southern province of Helmand was
carried out Saturday after insurgents who had earlier killed a
patrolling marine hid in a compound and carried on firing.
The compound hit by the air strike was home to civilians. Local
officials said that five girls, seven boys and two women were among
those killed by international forces.
“I want to offer my sincere apologies for the nine civilians who were
killed during the incident in Now Zad District, Helmand province, that
occurred on 28 May,” said a statement from Major General John Toolan,
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander for the
southwest region of Afghanistan.
He stressed it was the coalition’s “top priority” to avoid civilian
casualties, adding that a full investigation was under way.
“While I know there is no price on human life, we will ensure that we
make amends with the families in accordance with Afghan culture,” Toolan
added.
The apology came after Karzai’s office issued what it said was a
“last warning” to US and NATO-led troops over civilian casualties
following Saturday’s incident, which it described as a “great mistake.”
In response, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that “we
share and take very seriously” Karzai’s concerns.
Civilian deaths in international military operations are a highly
sensitive topic in Afghanistan, frequently sparking angry public
demonstrations and vocal condemnations from Karzai.
Footage and pictures from Helmand showed turbaned men carrying the
bodies of children in the aftermath of Saturday’s incident.
Aslam, a local elder of Nawzad district, told AFP he “lost 12
relatives while 10 others including children were injured” in the air
strike.
He said some shots were fired at ISAF helicopters which flew into the
area, adding that the choppers returned after 10 to 20 minutes and fired
rockets, killing the “innocent civilians”.
Separately, the governor of Nuristan on Sunday told AFP that 18
civilians and 20 police had been killed by “friendly fire” during US-led
air strikes against insurgents in his troubled northeastern province.
Kabul, Monday, AFP |