AFGHANISTAN: NATO Investigates Scores of Civilian Deaths in East
The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said on Thursday it was investigating another case where its troops may have killed or wounded civilians, with an Afghan official saying the force killed five people on a hunting trip.
Civilian casualties caused by NATO-led and Afghan forces have become a great source of friction between the Afghan government and its Western backers.
This week, the governor of eastern Kunar province said 64 civilians were killed during four days of operations by NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan troops.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai put the toll there at "more than 50." Senior ISAF officials disputed their account, saying weapons systems surveillance indicated only insurgents had been killed, but said the force was investigating. Reuters Africa (24 February 2011)