Afghanistan - Nato airstrike

Germany justifies Nato airstrike in Afghanistan that killed 90

Article published on the 2009-09-05 Latest update 2009-09-05 10:15 TU

An injured Afghan villager lies in hospital after Friday's NATO air strike
(Credit: Reuters)

Germany has denied Saturday that there were civilian casualties in the Nato air strike on Afghanistan that left up to 90 people dead. German Defence Minister Josef Jung said that the airstrike was ordered after Taliban militants hijacked fuel tankers in the northern Kunduz region of Afghanistan. He said that 50 Taliban militants had died in the attack.

Witnesses said that local villagers were helping themselves to free fuel when the airplanes attacked, destroying both fuel tankers.

German officials continue to dismiss the claim that civilians were killed and on the ground, Afghan officials are saying the dead were mostly insurgents. Defence and interior ministries officials travelled to the area on Saturday to begin an investigation as ordered by President Hamid Karzai.

Many of the injured were taken to Kunduz hospital, including Asmatullah and his son Shafiullah, 10. Asmatullah was sleeping nearby when the attack occurred, and when he went to the site "I saw all the world was covered by killed and wounded people."

"All the dead were Taliban," he added.

The Taliban issued a statement denying that any of their fighters were killed in the airstrike.