Nato apologises for civilian deaths

Nato officials apologised today for an airstrike that inadvertently killed a group of women and children, saying that they thought there were only insurgents inside the targeted compound when they ordered the strike.

Accidental deaths of civilians from coalition military operations are an ongoing source of tension between Afghans and Nato. The international coalition has sharply reduced the number of civilians killed in its operations but Afghan officials say any civilian deaths from allied strikes are unacceptable.