Afghan civilian killed by Canadian troops

Afghan accidentally killed by Canadian troops

Updated Wed. Dec. 13 2006 7:52 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Canadian troops in Kandahar city accidentally killed an Afghan civilian who refused to stop when approaching a security cordon, NATO said Tuesday.

NATO said the motorcyclist was travelling at high speed when he approached a security cordon near where Afghan President Hamid Karzai was meeting with senior Canadian officials, including Canadian ambassador David Sproule.

Despite verbal warnings, the motorcyclists refused to stop.

Troops fired a warning shot into the ground, which ricocheted and hit the man.

Afghan National Police officers were on the scene to immediately transport the casualty to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A statement from NATO's International Security Assistance Force says the loss of life was regrettable and it was unclear why the motorcyclist refused to heed the warning.

"It is not known why the motorcyclist failed to stop when clear signals were given, and a full and thorough investigation has commenced," says the statement from the ISAF.

NATO spokesman Mark Laity told The Associated Press on Wednesday that troops take extra measures to minimize the risk to civilians.

"When something does happen -- and it does I'm afraid -- we are not only upset, we do not only apologize, we investigate to see what steps we can take to minimize the risk in the future,'' he said.

The death came as Karzai met Western diplomats to discuss how to prevent civilian casualties in military operations.

Afghan anger has been fuelled by a series of civilian deaths during NATO fighting with the Taliban and in the aftermath of suicide bombings.

"We are rightly angered by it and worried by it,'' Karzai said Tuesday.

"NATO is also worried by it, and is working with us to reduce such casualties.''

NATO on Tuesday said four militants and a teenage girl were killed during an early morning raid by Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces in the eastern province of Khost.

But a police official on Wednesday disputed that account, saying only civilians in the home were targeted. The official asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.

Forty-four Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since the Afghan mission began in 2002, the majority of those casualties this year.