Brussels: The US-led military alliance has powerfully defended its night raids on Afghan homes, despite the growing number of civilian deaths and an strong anger reaction by Afghan president.
NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu Tuesday said that its airstrikes on Afghan residential areas were necessary.
Earlier, President Hamid Karzai had warned US-led foreign forces that if the attacks continue, NATO would risk becoming an occupying force.
Karzai’s warning came after the recent US-led airstrikes in Helmand and Nuristan provinces that claimed the lives of more than 60 Afghans.
Karzai on Sunday said that such incidents are “murdering Afghanistan’s children and women.”
He also ordered the Afghan ministry of defense to prevent foreign troops from uncoordinated and arbitrary operations across the country. Karzai also demanded that such raids as well as special operations should be conducted by Afghan troops.
The Afghan Interior Ministry smashed NATO forces for violating a security accord based on which all NATO operations in Kabul must be cleared with the Afghan government.
Afghans believed that the NATO troops disregard local culture and have targeted hundreds of civilians in different parts of the war-torn country.
Civilian casualties caused by NATO attacks have been a major source of tension between Karzai and the US-led alliance.
The attacks have killed thousands of Afghan civilians since the beginning of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
Despite the presence of about 150,000 foreign troops, violence in Afghanistan is uncontrolled as 2010 was the deadliest year with record causalities.
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