NATO officials say they plan to use smaller bombs in Afghanistan to limit the rise in civilian casualties.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the number of civilians killed during fighting between NATO with the Taleban has damaged the reputation of the alliance. He added that NATO commanders recently instructed troops to hold off attacking rebels in situations where civilians would be at risk.
The NATO chief spoke in an interview published Monday by the Financial Times. In the past, Scheffer has blamed Taleban militants for using Afghan civilians as human shields.
The coalition in Afghanistan has been criticized for the number of civilian casualties resulting from combat operations against the Taleban and other militants.
Last month, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused NATO and U.S.-led forces of killing 90 civilians in air strikes and artillery fire against the Taleban.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
