One child killed in Afghan accident involving a German tank

Police officials in the Afghan province of Kunduz informed the media that a German Main Battle Tank (MBT) was involved in an accident today, in which one Afghan child was killed.

The statement also claimed that two other children were injured in the incident. Local media reported that there is widespread anguish and shock among the local residents over the incident. The German army refused to comment, when contacted by the media representatives.

The incident occurred when a German army tank ran over a group of children in the city of Kunduz, located in Northern Afghanistan. There is no confirmation yet from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), in which close to 5,000 Germans serve. Germany is the third largest troop contributor to the ISAF, and it provides security for the Afghan provinces of Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan and Badakhshan.

Resentment against the German troops has been brewing in Afghanistan ever since the 2009 Kunduz airstrike, in which more than 100 Afghan civilians were killed. The incident occurred when the German contingent called in F-15E fighter jets, to bomb two fuel tankers hijacked by the Afghan Taliban. Civilians, who had gathered around the tankers in order to siphon the fuel, had to face the full brunt of the NATO attack. Later Germany had to close down several of its facilities in the four provinces under their supervision, when the locals agitated against their presence.

So far 56 German servicemen have lost their lives in Afghanistan, including 53 soldiers and 3 policemen. After France decided to pullback its combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of this year, the role played by Germany has become even more important for the NATO.

Meanwhile, the United Nations had announced earlier this year that a total of 3,021 Afghan civilians have died in the clashes between the ISAF and local insurgents, in the year 2011. It claimed that last year was one of the deadliest for the Afghan civilians.