US-led forces kill six Afghan civilians

The US-led forces in war-torn Afghanistan have killed at least six civilians in northern Konduz province, Afghan officials say.

A local Afghan official said foreign soldiers also arrested two Afghans during the overnight raids.

NATO has yet to comment on the issue.

Also on Tuesday, foreign troops killed a former Afghan governor and arrested six others in Helmand province.

A NATO airstrike on Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province also killed at least 20 Afghans.

NATO claims the attack, which came in retaliation to an ambush on its troops, has only resulted in the death of militants, but figures show that similar airstrikes in the past have mainly caused civilian deaths.

The US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan have launched a massive military operation in the southern province of Kandahar, inflicting extensive damage, particularly on civilian properties.

A UN report shows that more civilians were killed in 2010 than any other year since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.

According to the report, the civilian fatalities have risen by 31 percent in the first six months of the year, giving rise to increased anti-US sentiments in the troubled region.