Khaama Press, May 17, 2012

Afghan probe: 5 civilians killed in NATO airstrike at Kunar

A delegation of the Afghan officials who were assigned to probe NATO air raid in eastern Kunar province on Wednesday said at least 5 Afghan civilians were killed following the airstrike in this province.

Mawlawi Shahzada Shahid Afghan lawmaker representing eastern Kunar province and a member of the delegation who visited the area said at least 5 Afghan civilians were killed and 2 others were injured at Watapur district.

This comes as International Security Assistance Force officials earlier said four insurgents were killed during the airstrike at Watapur on Sunday.

In the meantime local residents said Afghan women and children were among those killed following the incident.

Civilian casualties have always been a sensitive issue in the US-led war against Taliban Islamists, who were ousted from power in a 2001 invasion, and have often been the cause of tense relations between Kabul and Washington.

The number of civilians killed has risen steadily each year for the past five years, reaching a record of 3,021 in 2011, the great majority caused by militants, according to UN statistics.

Characters Count: 1268