July 10, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 6, 1429

KABUL: More than 250 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured in five days of rebel attacks and military action, the Red Cross said on Wednesday, calling all sides in the growing conflict to take more care.

The latest incidents include separate military air strikes in two eastern provinces on July 4 and July 6 and a suicide car bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul on Monday that killed 41 people.

President Hamid Karzai, the Afghan parliament and the UN representative Kai Eide have all expressed concern about the civilian tolls.

“At least 250 civilians are reported to have been killed or injured in various incidents since July 4,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement, adding it “deplores” this high number.

“We call on all parties to the conflict, in the conduct of their military operations, to distinguish at all times between civilians and fighters and to take constant care to spare civilians,” ICRC Kabul chief Franz Rauchenstein said.

All sides were obliged by international humanitarian law to not target civilians unless they were taking a direct part in fighting, he said in the statement.

The Red Cross was in contact with government forces, the international military deployments and armed opposition to remind them of their obligations under international humanitarian law, it said.

Monday’s suicide bombing of the Indian embassy was the deadliest in Kabul and left nearly 150 people wounded. Four Indian nationals, two of them senior diplomats, were among the 41 dead.

The insurgent Taliban group, behind a wave of suicide attacks in Afghanistan, denied responsibility.

Afghan government officials say July 6 air strikes by the US-led coalition in the eastern province of Nangarhar struck a wedding party, killing 27 civilians including the bride. The coalition says only militants died.—AFP