Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

NATO Strike Kills 3 Afghan Kids

7 dead in total; helicopter was trying to hit Taliban leaders on the road

By the Associated Press

Posted Mar 26, 2011 4:59 PM CDT

(AP) – Seven civilians were killed when a NATO helicopter fired on two vehicles believed to be carrying Taliban fighters, say Afghan officials. The international alliance said it was investigating the strike, which occurred yesterday in Helmand province. Two women and three children were among the victims, who were traveling in a vehicle near the targeted ones. Five other civilians were wounded.

The deaths came only two days after the NATO troops accidentally killed two civilians in the eastern province of Khost. Earlier this month, an errant strike killed nine Afghan boys. Civilian casualties have long been a source of friction between the US-led international force and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has bluntly told the coalition that they must end.

File photo: Afghan children watch as a US Marine stands in front of ruins in Garmser, Helmand Province, on March 13. (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

10%

61%

10%

13%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

Chef Serves Up … His Own Genitals? (Huff Post)

My Boss Walked in on Me Touching Myself, Now He Won't Stop Flirting (Slate)

This Celebrity May Be the Worst Metrosexual Ever (Bleacher Report)

Has Aston Kutcher Been Sneaking Around with Demi Moore's Daughter? (The Stir)

Which Celebrity Was Attacked By a Former Girlfriend? (NewsOne)

Partner Links

Sponsor Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 7 comments

saucier111

Mar 27, 2011 4:01 PM CDT

The only reason for these wars was to build up our military complex,and make defense contractors very rich.

SuYu

Mar 27, 2011 12:58 AM CDT

Thee Obama-cons are probably thinking of ways to rationalize this.

non

Mar 26, 2011 6:12 PM CDT

9? 10? years already? just think if the trillions of dollars spent there, iraq, and now libya were spent rebuilding OUR country.... ya know infrastructure, education,new energies, tax refunds of thousands ( if not tens of thousands) for our tax paying populace, social security... how good would our economy and future look....money spent on these wars is essentially thrown away.... how will any of this benefit us?

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rape Conviction Cleared, Thanks to Facebook

80-Year-Old Skydiver Slips Out of Harness

Associated Press (Source Grid »)

World

NATO • Hamid Karzai • civilian casualties • Afghanistan war

More Newser Stories

Afghan Officials: NATO Airstrike Killed 12 Children

NATO says the matter is under investigation

(AP) - A NATO airstrike targeting insurgents inadvertently hit two civilian homes in the volatile southwestern Helmand province, killing 12 children and two women, an Afghan government official said today. He said the alliance launched the airstrike late yesterday in retaliation for an attack earlier in the day on a US Marine base. A NATO spokesman said a joint coalition and Afghan delegation was traveling to the site to investigate. More»

NATO Accidentally Kills Karzai Relative

Afghan president again calls for more care in avoiding civilian casualties

(NEWSER) - NATO forces accidentally shot and killed a member of the Karzai family during a botched night raid, Ahmed Wali Karzai told reporters today. He described the victim only as "our father's cousin," the Telegraph reports. "The forces conducted an operation, he was at his home, he came out and was shot," said Karzai, the younger brother of the Afghan president. "It was a mistake. What can you do about it?" More»

Afghans: NATO Strike Targeted Civilians

Villagers: 52 civilians killed in Helmand skirmish

(NEWSER) - Amidst the flood of leaked news of previously unreported civilian casualties in Afghanistan, angry Afghans say a NATO rocket attack on their Helmand province town on Friday deliberately targeted civilians, killing 52. "The foreign forces could see us," a villager who claims 17 members of his extended family were killed told the Guardian . NATO disputes the villagers' claims. "The team have not found any evidence to show that the civilians were killed," an investigator said. More»

Karzai Vows Punishment for Deadly US Raid

'Our relation with the foreigners got worst,' president says after 90 Afghans claimed dead

(NEWSER) - President Hamid Karzai vowed to punish those responsible for killing as many as 90 civilians in a raid last month by US and Afghan commandos, saying Afghanistan’s relationship with “the foreigners got worst,” the AP reports. The US and NATO claim at least 30 militants and no more than seven civilians died Aug. 22; the UN backs Karzai’s figures. More»

NATO 'Sorry' for Airstrike That Kills Mom, 5 Kids

Military 'deeply saddened by civilian deaths'

(NEWSER) - The US military expressed regret today for killing a mother and five of her children in an airstrike in southwestern Afghanistan, the New York Times reports. The Friday attack, which was aimed at Taliban forces, killed the mother, three girls, and two boys—and possibly eight other civilians, the Washington Post reports. The military "will be formally apologizing in the next couple of days to the family,” said a NATO spokesman. “We are deeply saddened by any civilian deaths." (One study says that 1 in 3 deaths in drone strikes are civilians ; 65 civilians were reportedly killed in one US attack .) More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

NATO Strike Kills 3 Afghan Kids

7 dead in total; helicopter was trying to hit Taliban leaders on the road

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

NATO • Hamid Karzai • civilian casualties • Afghanistan war

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Afghan Officials: NATO Airstrike Killed 12 Children

NATO says the matter is under investigation

NATO Accidentally Kills Karzai Relative

Afghan president again calls for more care in avoiding civilian casualties

Afghans: NATO Strike Targeted Civilians

Villagers: 52 civilians killed in Helmand skirmish

Karzai Vows Punishment for Deadly US Raid

'Our relation with the foreigners got worst,' president says after 90 Afghans claimed dead

NATO 'Sorry' for Airstrike That Kills Mom, 5 Kids

Military 'deeply saddened by civilian deaths'

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?