Islam Times - Afghans protest deadly US night raids

Islam Times - Hundreds of Afghan tribal and religious leaders have staged a rally in the eastern province of Nangarhar to protest against night raids carried out by US forces in Afghanistan.

Islam Times reports from Press TV: The rally was held at the office of the provincial council in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar, on Monday.

The participants issued a resolution at the end of the demonstrations, urging the US troops to stop the night raids and warned they would rise up against foreign forces.

The resolution also called for trial of all the foreign forces who have intentionally murdered Afghan citizens, urging the US forces to release all Afghan prisoners that have been detained based on inaccurate information.

The development came two days after Sabar Lal Melma, a former Afghan senior police commander, was killed in a night raid by US forces in Jalalabad.

Sabar was first taken out of his bedroom and then shot five times, the victim's family members said.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed in US-led airstrikes and ground operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past few months with Afghans becoming more outraged over the seemingly endless number of deadly assaults.

Civilians have been the main victims of violence in Afghanistan, particularly in the country's troubled southern and eastern provinces, where they are killed by both militants and foreign fire.

Civilian casualties caused by NATO attacks have been a major source of tension between the Afghan president and the US-led alliance.

Despite the presence of about 150,000 foreign troops, violence in Afghanistan last year reached its deadliest phase with record casualties on all sides, including civilian deaths.