Geo World

Karzai issues 'last warning' to US over civilian deaths

Updated at: 1843 PST,  Sunday, May 29, 2011  KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai called Sunday on the US military to avoid operations that kill civilians, saying it was his "last warning" to Washington after 14 people allegedly died in an air strike. Reacting to the alleged deaths of 10 children, two women and two men in an air strike Saturday in the southern province of Helmand, Karzai said such incidents were "murdering of Afghanistan's children and women." "The president called this incident a great mistake and the murdering of Afghanistan's children and women, and on behalf of the Afghan people gives his last warning to the US troops and US officials in this regard," his office said, adding that he "strongly condemned" the killings. Citing initial "reports and heartrending pictures published on media" Karzai's office said 10 children, two women and two men were killed in the raid. Adopting an unusually angry tone, Karzai said the US-led operations were "arbitrary" and unnecessary". "The president said that US and NATO troops have been repeatedly told that their arbitrary and unnecessary operations cause the deaths of innocent Afghans and such operations violate human and moral values but it appears that (we) are not listened to," the statement said. Local authorities in Helmand said that US Marines called in air support after their base in Nawzad district came under attack from small arms fire. "During the air strike, two civilian houses were targeted which killed 14 civilians and six others were wounded," the provincial administration said in a statement. The statement said the dead included five girls, seven boys and two women. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said it was investigating the allegations. "ISAF are aware of the reports that civilians were allegedly killed in an ISAF air strike," spokesman Major Tim James told AFP. "(The) Regional Command South West has sent a joint assessment team to the area to look into the allegation and they will issue their findings to the press." Footage and pictures from the troubled region showed turbaned men carrying the bodies of children and showing them to unseen journalists.(AFP)