Afghanistan: Car Encroaches on Convoy, Two Children Shot

Canadian troops opened fire on the car fearing the driver was about to attack their convoy; killing two children, the Canadian Forces confirmed.

Canadian forces have confirmed that two children were killed in Kandahar province Sunday when troops opened fire upon a car that apparently refused to stop when signaled to keep away from the convoy. The children aged two and four were passengers in the car. The driver according tot he statement the Canadian Forces issued ignored repeated signals to stay away fro the convoy. The gunner may have been concerned about a suicide attack and fired after the car came within 10 metres of the convoy. "It is with profound sadness that we announce that two Afghan children . . . were killed in this incident," said the statement. "We deeply regret this incident, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased during this difficult time. "Our soldiers are trained to take all appropriate steps to minimize civilian casualties. However, they must take action to protect themselves when they believe they are being threatened." The children's parents were treated for their wounds at a local hospital. It is common practice for militants to use civilian cars loaded with explosives to target coalition convoys and this tactic forces soldiers to protect themselves if they feel an attack could be in progress. Human Rights Watch states that at least 300 Afghan civilians have been mistakenly killed by coalition forces in 2007 -- with thousands killed since 2001. Afghan police and coalition forces are planning a joint investigation into Sunday's incident