German troops face ‘strict measures’ over skull pictures

GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel promised tough action after German soldiers in Afghanistan were photographed playing and posing with a skull.

“The chancellor has made it clear that she finds these pictures shocking and disgusting,” government spokesman Thomas Steg said, adding that Ms Merkel wanted the troops responsible to face “strict measures”.

Germany’s top-selling newspaper Bild yesterday splashed photographs of four German soldiers from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force displaying a skull like scalp hunters.