Heyet.net, Tuesday, 06 July 2010 10:26

Scores of Afghan civilians, including women and a child, have been killed in a NATO airstrike, dealing a major blow to US-led efforts to win Afghan hearts and minds.

"Initial reports indicate that NATO fired Sunday on a convoy of three vehicles ... killing at least 27 civilians, including four women and one child, and injuring 12 others," the Afghan cabinet said in a statement cited by Reuters.

US troops said the civilians had been killed as they approached a joint NATO-Afghan unity in Gujran district of Daykundi province.

"We are extremely saddened by the tragic loss of innocent lives," US General Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, said.

"I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people and inadvertently killing or injuring civilians undermines their trust and confidence in our mission."

The killing is the third by NATO troops in a week.

Last week, seven civilians were killed and two others wounded in a NATO airstrike in southern Afghanistan.

The attack also came days after seven Afghan policemen were killed in a NATO bombing in the northern province of Kunduz.

Also on Monday, 14 people, including an influential Afghan leader, were killed in a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan on borders with Pakistan.

Civilian casualties are a sensitive issue in Afghanistan, where Karzai and his Western backers are trying to win Afghan hearts and minds against Taliban.

Analysts have repeatedly warned that the indiscriminate killing of civilians is turning ordinary Afghans against foreign troops and eroding fragile public support for West-backed Karzai's government.

Anger

The Afghan civilians have been growing angry with the indiscriminately killings and night home searches by NATO troops.

"People still complain about how the house searches are being conducted,” said Abdur Rahman Saber, head of a local council monitoring the plight of civilians.

“The joint forces should not view every person here with suspicion of being a Taliban or a relative of one.”

Nearly 15,000 US-led troops launched a major offensive - dubbed Mushtarak (Together) - into Taliban stronghold of Helmand early this month.

The military phase of the offensive, now into a ninth day, will be followed by efforts to reassert government control with security and services.

Afghan police have moved into the target area, but commanders say it could be another month before it is cleared of Taliban fighters and their booby trap bombs.

Once controlling a village, residents are called into mosques by the troops to convince that the offensive aims to protect them against the Taliban.

"When the government and its foreign allies want the people on their side, they should respect every resident here,” said Saber.

“People should not feel any sense of insecurity from Afghan or foreign troops."

HEYET NET- IOL