Australian troops probed over civilian deaths

8 Jan 2009, 6:53 pm   -   Source: AFP
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Allegations that Australian soldiers caused civilian casualties during fighting in Afghanistan are being formally investigated, the government said.

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Allegations that Australian soldiers caused civilian casualties during fighting in Afghanistan are being formally investigated, the government said.

The probe centres on charges that up to nine Afghans were wounded and others killed during fighting between international forces and Taliban insurgents in southern Uruzgan province on Monday, the defence department said.
  
"The claims were made after a series of significant battles between Taliban insurgents and Coalition forces, including Australian troops operating in the area," the department said in a statement.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) "has commenced a formal investigation into the claims after reviewing its recent operations and identifying that the ADF could have been involved in the incident."

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan government were conducting their own joint investigation into the incident in the Baluchi Valley, the statement said.

In Afghanistan, security forces said Wednesday they had killed 50 insurgents in new battles across the country, but allegations emerged that dozens of civilians had also been killed in military action.

Afghan and international forces allied in the fight against Islamic extremists said they were investigating the claims of civilian casualties -- a source of tension between the Kabul government and its foreign allies.

In one confirmed incident, 11 civilians died when an artillery shell landed on them during a clash between security forces and militants in Uruzgan province on Monday, the Afghan interior ministry said.

Interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said authorities were investigating the incident to determine who fired the shell -- the insurgents or the security forces.

Australia's defence department would not confirm whether its probe involved the same incident as it was still under investigation, a spokeswoman told AFP.

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