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Civilian death toll rising in Afganistan
A rising death toll of Afghan civilians led to a protest today in the streets of Mazar-i-Sharif, chanting slogans against President Hamid Karzai after U.S. troops killed two civilians in a raid on Wednesday.
An airstrike on Thursday accidentally resulted in the death of five Afghan soldiers. NATO admitted to this incident. A joint Afghan and NATO investigation team found the six civilians dead, when artillery shells set off without warning.
Insurgent gunmen also killed 11 Pakistani tribesmen, after opening fire on their bus near the eastern Afghan border. Civilian casualties among security forces in Afghanistan have been a prominent sore point between President Karzai and Western military forces, since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.
"ISAF officials offer sincere condolences to those affected and accept full responsibility for the actions that led to this tragic incident," the ISAF said in a statement.
Casualties among NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan hit a high in June and commanders are expecting violence to rise, questioning whether more can be done to protect troops.
