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President Hamid Karzai today denounced an air-strike by US-led forces that his office said killed at least 70 civilians.
Civilian deaths and injuries are an extremely sensitive subject in Afghanistan, where the government has repeatedly pleaded with Western troops to exercise greater care to avoid hurting and killing noncombatants. Karzai broke down in tears during one such appeal.
The U.S. military said it staged an air-strike early Friday in the area, targeting a senior Taliban commander, and that all of those killed were thought to be Taliban fighters.
But Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said aerial bombardment, which it described as occurring later in the day, killed 76 civilians, including scores of women and children.
An Afghan human rights group today put the total number of dead at 78, after initially compiling a tally of 88.- By John Richardson at 24 Aug 2008 - 9:01am
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imprecise military operation
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has sacked two senior military commanders over an air strike two days ago that he said killed 89 civilians.
The president had previously criticised US forces for "unilateral operations" over the strike in the Afghan west.
But he later appeared to suggest Afghan forces were partly to blame, ordering the removal of a general and a major.
The US originally said its strike had killed 30 militants. It is looking into the claims of many civilian deaths.
A statement from President Karzai's office said he had ordered "the immediate removal" of General Jalandar Shah Behnam, head of the army in western Afghanistan, and Major Abdul Jabar, for "neglecting their duties and concealing the facts".
Both were summoned to Kabul for further questioning.
"In the tragic air strike and irresponsible and imprecise military operation in Azizabad village... more than 89 of our innocent countrymen, including women and children, were martyred," the statement said.
That was an increase on the death toll of 76 originally stated by the interior ministry.
The two Afghan officers were commanding forces in Herat province when the air strike occurred.