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NATO chief says alliance probing Afghan airstrike

2009-09-04 22:12 BJT

BRUSSELS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Friday that an investigation is going on to see whether civilians were killed in an NATO airstrike on two fuel tankers in northern Afghanistan overnight.

"There was an ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) airstrike against the Taliban during the night. Certainly, a number of Taliban were killed. There is also the possibility of civilian casualties as well. But it is not yet clear," Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels.

He said an investigation team has already been sent to the scene.

"The Afghan people should know that we are clearly committed to protecting them and that we will fully and immediately investigate this incident," said Rasmussen.

He said ISAF commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal has spoken with Afghan President Harmid Karzai and pledged to conclude the investigation as soon as possible.

Rasmussen said a new strategy to protect Afghan civilians has been in place and has been successful.

"Our commitment to protect civilians is demonstrated by the fact that civilian casualties caused by ISAF are down over 95 percent from last year's levels," he said, "But as we all know, in conflicts like this, mistakes can happen. In this concrete case, Let's now see what the investigation concludes."

The NATO airstrike destroyed two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in the northern province of Kunduz, setting off a huge fireball that killed up to 90 people.

Rasmussen refused to reveal any details of the airstrike, such as how many planes were involved and which country was responsible for the bombing.

Editor: Liu Anqi | Source: Xinhua