Afghan officials in eastern Kunar province say an airstrike by foreign troops has killed ten civilians, most of whom are children.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the killings in a statement issued on Monday and promised to investigate the incident. NATO and U.S. officials have not yet formally responded. Afghan officials say the attack took place Saturday in a remote region.
Civilian deaths in coalition airstrikes are a contentious issue in Afghanistan. U.S. commanders have made protecting civilians a top priority in the new U.S.-led war strategy aimed at countering the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Afghan police say Taliban militants stormed a security outpost in northwestern Badghis province Sunday, killing two police officers.
Three other police officers were missing after the attack, and a joint force of Afghan and international troops is searching for them.
Also Monday, Spain's defense minister met with Spanish troops guarding Kabul's airport. Spanish media say Carme Chacon pledged that Spanish forces will train some 2,000 Afghan troops in the coming year.
Spain currently has about 1,000 troops serving in NATO's Afghanistan mission, and the Spanish parliament is expected to approve deploying several hundred more in the coming months.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
