US apologises over Afghan deaths

The US military has admitted that its troops killed five civilians in Afghanistan, including a child, not fighters as was earlier reported.

The US has also offered an apology for the deaths on Wednesday night and indicated that the family will receive support.

Brigadier-General Michael Ryan said in a statement late on Thursday: "We deeply regret the tragic loss of life in this precious family."

A 13-year-old boy who survived the night-time raid on his home told Al Jazeera that his mother, brother, uncle and another female family member were killed.

A woman who was nine-months' pregnant was wounded and lost her baby.

"Words alone cannot begin to express our regret and sympathy and we will ensure the surviving family members are properly cared for," Ryan added.

Al Jazeera's Todd Baer, reporting from Kabul, said that while the US operation was going on, the family thought that somebody had entered their home unlawfully to steal.

"They began shooting at soldiers. So the soldiers returned fire," he said.

"There has been enormous pressure from citizens on the Afghan government to end these kinds of civilian casualties, end these kind of raids on houses."

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