US and German military officers met families and victims of a Nato air strike in Northern Afghanistan today in a bid to cool anger over an incident that undermines Nato efforts to win hearts and minds.
Afghan officials say scores of people were killed, many of them civilians, when a US F-15 fighter jet called in by German troops struck two hijacked fuel trucks before dawn yesterday.
Nato commanders hope to avert a backlash over the incident, which comes two months after the new US and Nato commander, General Stanley McChrystal, ordered new procedures that require extra precautions to protect civilians before troops can fire.
The attack took place in Kunduz, a northern province that had been largely quiet since the Taliban were toppled in 2001, but has recently seen a sudden upsurge in attacks, with fighters seizing control of remote areas.
The area is patrolled by Nato's 4,000-strong German contingent, who are banned by Berlin from operating in combat zones in other parts of the country.
The German military has confirmed that a German commander approved the air strike, and the incident could add fuel to a debate about the war, which is unpopular back home, three weeks before a German general election.
Nato says its targets in the raid were Taliban fighters who had hijacked the fuel trucks, but has acknowledged that some of the victims being treated in hospital are civilians.
Kunduz province Governor Mohammad Omar blamed the local villagers for aiding Taliban insurgents and said the villagers along with the Taliban were responsible for the loss of lives.
"Villagers paid a price for helping and sheltering the insurgents," Mr Omar said today. He said the death toll had not been finalised, and the probe was continuing.
Later this morning, a roadside bomb hit a German convoy near the city, yet another sign of mounting Taliban violence in the area. Nato said there were no reports of deaths.
Reuters