Afghan President Accuses US of Killing Civilians in Airstrike

Seven children and a woman

President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday accused the United States of killing seven children and a woman in an airstrike in central Afghanistan — an incident set to further damage frayed ties between the two allies.

Relations between Washington and Kabul have been rocky for years, and negotiations over an agreement that would allow some US troops to remain in the country after this year have broken down into a long-running public dispute.

Karzai made a surprise decision not to sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA) late last year despite having vowed to do so, leading to the threat of a complete withdrawal of US-led NATO troops by the end of 2014.