Afghan police chief accuses NATO of killing child

May 15, 2011, 11:34 GMT

Kabul - A 12-year-old child was killed and four others injured Sunday after NATO forces allegedly opened fire on them in the south-eastern Afghan province of Kunar, a police official said.

The children - all girls aged 8 to 15 - were playing in Bargam area of Ghaziabad district when they came under fire from coalition forces, Khalilullah Ziaee, the provincial police chief said.

'We believe it was the foreign forces that opened fire,' he said. 'A 12-year-old girl was killed and four other girls were injured.'

A spokesman from NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said that the alliance was aware of 'civilian casualties in Kunar province' but could not provide further details.

'We are currently investigating,' the spokesman said.

Civilian casualties at the hands of international forces have been causing increasing resentment among Afghans. President Hamid Karzai has spoken out strongly against NATO raids. Earlier this year he called on the foreign forces to halt all operations in the country.

The alleged civilian killing came a day after hundreds of people took to the streets in the eastern province of Nangarhar to protest at the killing of a teenage boy by NATO troops on Friday night.

The men took the body of the 15-year-old to the Hesarak district headquarters and threw stones at police trying to control the mob. At least three protesters were injured when police opened fire.

A total of 2,777 civilians were killed in the Afghan conflict last year, the bloodiest period for the population since the ouster of the Taliban nearly 10 years ago.

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