Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said relations with international forces backing his government have been frayed because of the killing of more than 90 civilians during a recent strike by US-led coalition troops. Karzai made the remarks Thursday, Sept. 4, during a visit to a village where more than 90 civilians were reported killed in a US air raid on Aug. 22. He traveled to Azizabad village in Shindand district in the western province of Herat on Thursday and met families of the victims who were killed in a US-led coalition air raid, the presidential palace said in a statement. The US military insisted that its operation, which was jointly conducted with Afghan commandos in the area, left 30 to 35 militants and up to seven civilians dead. But an investigation team created by the Afghan government found that more than 90 civilians, including 60 children, were killed in the eight-hour aerial bombardment. A separate probe by UN officials confirmed the Afghan government's figures.
Karzai made the remarks Thursday, Sept. 4, during a visit to a village where more than 90 civilians were reported killed in a US air raid on Aug. 22.
He traveled to Azizabad village in Shindand district in the western province of Herat on Thursday and met families of the victims who were killed in a US-led coalition air raid, the presidential palace said in a statement.
The US military insisted that its operation, which was jointly conducted with Afghan commandos in the area, left 30 to 35 militants and up to seven civilians dead.
But an investigation team created by the Afghan government found that more than 90 civilians, including 60 children, were killed in the eight-hour aerial bombardment. A separate probe by UN officials confirmed the Afghan government's figures.
