Two NATO troops, 5 Afghans killed in night raid
Saturday, 24 April 2010
KULANGAR, Afghanistan, Apr 23 (Reuters): Two NATO service members and five Afghans described by the alliance as insurgents were killed in a gunbattle during a pre-dawn swoop on a house Friday, prompting angry villagers to demonstrate in protest.
The international force said the dead Afghans were all insurgents, who had opened fire on troops as they approached a house. Villagers in the area in Logar province described the men as civilians.
So-called "night raids" on Afghan houses by foreign troops in the hours of darkness are a frequent source of friction between the Afghan government and the NATO-led force.
The U.S. and NATO commander, General Stanley McChrystal, has given instructions that night raids be carried out only as a last resort and with Afghan troops in the lead, to prevent incidents where Afghans defending their homes are mistaken for insurgents.
The international force said the dead Afghans were all insurgents, who had opened fire on troops as they approached a house. Villagers in the area in Logar province described the men as civilians.
So-called "night raids" on Afghan houses by foreign troops in the hours of darkness are a frequent source of friction between the Afghan government and the NATO-led force.
The U.S. and NATO commander, General Stanley McChrystal, has given instructions that night raids be carried out only as a last resort and with Afghan troops in the lead, to prevent incidents where Afghans defending their homes are mistaken for insurgents.