President orders stop to nighttime NATO raids

KABUL-led soldiers not to conduct nighttime operations, a statement from his office said on Saturday.

Such operations by foreign troops resulted in civilian deaths and harmed the war on terror, Karzai said before leaving on a two-day official visit to Turkmenistan.

The president said he was deeply concerned about increasing “irresponsible operations” by foreign soldiers in many parts of the country.

Karzai insisted the nighttime operations should be independently and unilaterally done by Afghan security forces.

He asked the Ministry of Defence to pave the ground for Afghan forces to carry out independent operations against insurgents and that NATO should not proceed with uncoordinated raids.

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