NATO-led troops killed around 100 civilians in Afghanistan in 2008

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan killed around 100 civilians in 2008, said the alliance on Wednesday.

"In 2008 NATO-ISAF was responsible for 97 -- let's say, around 100 -- civilian casualties (deaths)," NATO spokesman James Appathurai told reporters.

In contrast, the Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents killed 973 civilians last year, he said.

These figures are based on an assessment by the military with the help of a new tracking system, said the spokesman.

The figures are not supposed to be 100 percent accurate as civilian deaths are difficult to track given the fact that there are neither birth certificates, nor death certificates in the country and that the dead are buried quickly according to tradition in Afghanistan, noted Appathurai.

NATO-ISAF was ordered to take new measures last December to minimize civilian casualties as they were affecting popular support for ISAF in Afghanistan.

In a "tactical directive" issued by ISAF Commander Gen. David McKiernan on Dec. 30, 2008, the NATO troops were told to show respect for the Afghan people, their culture, religion and customs.

Commanders were ordered to ensure troops are properly trained to minimize the need to resort to deadly force. They were also asked to demonstrate proportionality, restraint and utmost discrimination in engagement.

NATO troops were ordered to conduct combined operations with the Afghan security forces as much as possible. All searches and entries of Afghan homes, mosques, religious sites or places of cultural significance must be led by Afghan security forces unless there is clear and identified danger from such a place.