Anger over civilian casualties force NATO to limit airstrikes in Afghanistan | WPN World People News

NATO has ordered limiting airstrikes on Afghan homes following last week's airstrike which killed 18 civilians, mostly women and children.

NATO spokesperson Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings said that forces "will continue to conduct operations against insurgents who use civilian dwellings, but when there is concern over the presence of civilians; air delivered munitions will not be employed while other means are available."

However, he did not elaborate on what was meant by "other means".

NATO forces said that last week's air strike on a house in Logar province occurred when soldiers returned fire during a mission targeting a Taliban leader.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai had cut short a trip to China following the strike and summoned the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen to voice his anger.

He criticized NATO and US forces for failing to consult Afghan officials before striking a house where insurgents had taken cover.

In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called on "all parties to the conflict to increase their efforts to protect civilians, and to comply fully with their legally binding international responsibility to minimize civilian loss of life and injury".

General John Allen has handed down instruction that the forces will not employ aerial-delivered munitions on a civilian dwelling "unless, of course, it is the last resort, and it is, in fact, to ensure the defense of our soldiers", Lieutenant General Curtis Scaparrotti, deputy commander of US forces, told reporters via video link from Kabul, AFP reported.

"It does not mean that we will not go after insurgents, that we don't expect insurgents ...to use civilian dwellings," he said

Karzai said an agreement has been reached with NATO "that no bombardment of civilian homes for any reason is allowed".

He told reporters at a nationally televised news conference in the capital that "they cannot use any airplane to bomb Afghan homes, even when they are under attack."

Meanwhile, the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said that two Afghan civilians were wounded in crossfire between insurgents and coalition forces in the Helmand province on Monday.

Source: Southeast Asia News.Net