KABUL: Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai is demanding more control over US operations in the country after 16 civilians were reportedly killed.
Hamid Karzai, who is under growing pressure over civilian deaths, said the murder of innocent Afghans "is strengthening the terrorists" and announced that his defence ministry has produced a draft agreement seeking to oversee US raids.
He said the paper has been sent to Washington, and also to Nato headquarters.
It came after thousands of protesters rallied in eastern Laghman province, near the site of the American raid against Taliban fighters.
The US military insisted its troops, backed by air support, had killed militants in the overnight operation – but protesters said civilians died.
Assadullah Wafa, a Karzai adviser, told reporters in Mehtar Lam, Laghman’s provincial capital: "Sixteen civilians, many of them children and women, were killed.
"We strongly condemn it and want an end to it (civilian casualties)."
A spokesman for the US military said it planned to jointly investigate the incident with the Afghan government this week.
The issue of civilian casualties is causing a huge backlash against Mr Karzai’s government and the foreign troops backing it.
Thousands of people took part in the protests, chanting slogans against Mr Karzai and the US.
"If the foreign troops do not put an end to their operations, we will launch jihad," said protest leader Malik Hazrat.
The provincial governor tried to calm the demonstrators, but stopped his speech after they threw stones at him.
More than 700 civilians were killed in operations by foreign and Afghan forces last year, according to UN estimates.