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3 Afghan civilians killed in shooting by French soldier, officials say

28 July 2011 03:53 (UTC +04:00)

Three Afghan civilians were killed and four were wounded when at least one French soldier opened fire on their vehicle in northeastern Afghanistan late Tuesday evening, officials said.

The killings occurred in Kapisa province after an approaching vehicle did not stop as it neared soldiers on patrol, according to an International Security Assistance Force statement.

The soldier signaled the car to stop with lasers and warning shots before firing directly at the vehicle, the statement said.

Two seriously wounded civilians were transported to a nearby hospital, though their condition was not clear.

Afghan National Police and ISAF personnel are investigating the incident.

A recent United Nations report found that 14% of "conflict-related civilian deaths" could be attributed to NATO and Afghan security forces, while 80% were pinned on anti-government elements.

It identified the use of powerful improvised explosive devices -- IEDs -- by militants as a root cause for the "dramatic" hike in deaths in the first half of the year.

The report said 6% of civilian deaths were not tied "to any party in the conflict."