Karzai calls for restraint as Afghans killed by coalition fire

By PAUL GARWOOD,

04/18/06 "AP" -- -- Hamid Karzai, Afghan president, yesterday demanded restraint from coalition forces after more than a dozen Afghan civilians and police were killed in two possible friendly fire incidents.

Seven villagers were killed as US forces, backed by warplanes and artillery fire, targeted militants hiding in a house and nearby cave in Kunar.

In a separate incident, the Canadian-led military in Afghanistan's south said that police "reported casualties, some possibly caused by friendly forces" during fighting against Taliban forces in Sangisar, 25 miles south-west of Kandahar. Six police were killed along with 41 militants. "We are investigating the incident," said Canadian Brigadier General David Fraser.

Karzai, the Afghan president, ordered his security authorities to probe the Kunar killings and demanded coalition forces take more care when targeting terrorists in residential areas. A statement from his office read: "President Karzai was angered by the deaths of these seven people and demands the (coalition) military use more restraint in future attacks against terrorists not to harm civilians."

US soldiers went to Kunar yesterday to piece together how the civilians were killed, a military spokesman said.

Separately, Afghan police killed a regional Taliban commander blamed for multiple attacks on coalition and Afghan forces and captured two of his bodyguards at a southern Zabul province hide-out. Mullah Abdul Halim was shot dead after police acting on a tip-off surrounded a house where he was hiding near Qalat, about 95 miles north-east of Kandahar.

Copyright Associated Press
 

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