U.S. general looks into claims of civilian casualties

KABUL (AP) — Responding quickly to another allegation of civilian casualties, a U.S. general traveled to western Afghanistan on Wednesday to investigate claims six women and two children were killed in a U.S. airstrike. Photos of the site showed at least one dead boy, bloodied and dirty from the attack.

Civilian deaths have been a huge source of friction between the U.S. and President Hamid Karzai, who has increased demands that American troops avoid killing civilians in its fight against the Taliban.

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday he was deploying an additional 17,000 U.S. forces to Afghanistan to bolster the 33,000 already in the country. That plan increases the chances that more civilians could be killed.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense condemned the deaths of civilians in Monday’s airstrike and said it came despite a recent U.S.-Afghan agreement to increase participation of Afghan forces in U.S. missions, a step aimed at preventing civilian casualties.

The U.S. coalition said in a statement that the strike Monday in the Gozara district of Herat province killed 15 militants and targeted a leader named Ghulam Yahya Akbari.

But Ekremuddin Yawar, a police commander for western Afghanistan, said six women and two children were among the dead, along with five men.

Photographs obtained by The Associated Press from the site show the body of a young boy — bloodied and dirtied — lying on a white shroud. Afghan men can be seen digging about a dozen graves. Dead sheep and destroyed tents can also be seen.

In response to Yawar’s allegation, U.S. Brig. Gen. Michael Ryan traveled to Gozara district Wednesday to meet with officials. Coalition and Afghan troops have been at the site of the operation since Tuesday investigating, said Capt. Elizabeth Mathias, a U.S. spokeswoman.

A statement from the U.S. military late Wednesday did not acknowledge any civilian deaths.

“If, during the course of investigation, it is discovered that any noncombatants were killed or injured in the strike we will take responsibility and make amends,” said Lt. Col. Rick Helmer, a U.S. spokesman. “However, it has been a past practice of the insurgents to surround themselves with women and children, knowingly placing them in danger.”