NATO airstrike kills Afghan civilians, human rights group demands investigation

A human rights group in Afghanistan has called for an investigation into the latest NATO airstrike that killed 27 Afghan civilians. Meanwhile, a top NATO commander expressed regret, saying coalition troops are doing everything in their power to limit casualties.

NATO forces are continuing their campaign to clear Taliban militants out of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. But there have also been instances of innocent lives lost.

And these target mistakes have been repeated elsewhere.

Afghans walks behind U.S. Marines from Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 6th  Marines during an operation in Marjah, Helmand province February 21, 2010. NATO forces are facing strong resistance eight days into a major offensive in southern  Afghanistan as Taliban fighters dig in to fight to the death.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The Afghan Cabinet says a NATO airstrike killed 27, including four women and one child, and wounded 12 others in the central province of Uruzgan on Sunday. The civilians were in a convoy bound for Kandahar, but the military alliance thought the vehicles were carrying insurgents on their way to attack Afghan and foreign troops.

Kandahar's human rights group described the incident as shocking and disappointing.

Abdul Qadir Norzai, Head of Kandahar's Human Rights Office, said, "We hope that the international forces, who are well aware of international law and human rights laws, take this incident very seriously, and launch an investigation."