Warlord 'survived' Afghanistan air strike

US AIR strikes in western Afghanistan missed their target of a militant commander and instead killed 12 other militants and 10 civilians, provincial officials have claimed. The US military originally said the strike in Ghor province this week killed a warlord named Mullah Mustafa, but now says he apparently survived. "Credible reports surfaced that Mustafa survived the attack," it said. The US said it was investigating reports that civilians had been killed. The response came as NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels were putting the final touches on a new command structure in Afghanistan tightening America's grip on military operations, reflecting the growing dominance of the US in the alliance's campaign there. The plans, expected to be approved overnight, would separate military operations from training missions, putting three-star US generals in charge of both commands, according to diplomats. The generals would report to the new overall military commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, who will be responsible for the overall NATO strategy and who has been given extensive leeway by the US to pick his direct subordinates. The US supplies 28,850 of the 61,130 troops in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, according to the alliance. Those figures do not take into account a separate US contribution under Operation Enduring Freedom, the counter-terrorism efforts that are concentrated mainly in the south and along the border with Pakistan. But when President Barack Obama's surge in Afghanistan is complete, the US will have about 68,000 troops in the region. Rising violence in Afghanistan has been accompanied by a rise in civilian casualties, which has turned many against the international effort. The Afghan Government has called on coalition forces to put in more safeguards to prevent civilian deaths during strikes. In one of the most high-profile cases of civilian deaths, Afghan officials have accused coalition forces of killing 140 villagers with air strikes during a May 4-5 assault in Farah province. US commanders have said they believe no more than 30 civilians were killed, along with 60-65 Taliban insurgents. The findings of an inquiry into those air strikes were to be released as early as last night, but the Pentagon this week said US troops did not follow proper tactics and procedures. Ghor Deputy Governor Karimuddin Rezazada said that 10 civilians, including five children, and 12 militants were killed in Tuesday's air strikes in Shahrak district. Citing reports from district officials and security forces, he said Mullah Mustafa was not killed in the attack.