Angry Afghans have taken to the streets of Mazar-e-Sharif to protest against the rising number of civilian casualties at the hands of US-led troops.
Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans against foreign forces and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The demonstration followed the killing of two civilians by US troops on the outskirts of the northern Afghan city on Wednesday.
NATO soldiers also killed one Afghan and arrested nine others in Paktia province.
The Western military alliance had earlier admitted to killing six other civilians in the same province while accepting responsibility for taking the lives of five Afghan soldiers in Ghazni province.
NATO blames the deaths on bad targeting and communication errors.
Civilians have been the main victims of violence in Afghanistan, particularly in the country's troubled southern and eastern provinces.
According to official figures, more than 2,500 civilians were killed in NATO operations last year, undermining support for the presence of US-led forces in the country.
The invasion of Afghanistan was launched with the official objective of curbing militancy and bringing peace and stability to the country. Nine years on, however, Afghanistan remains unstable and civilians continue to pay the price.
No comments:
Post a Comment