'Air strike kills Afghans' hours after Petraeus warning

NATO air strikes are said to have killed 25 Afghans including many civilians, hours after US troops were urged to avoid hurting non-combatants. The NATO-led ISAF force said it regretted the "apparent" loss of life in Nangarhar province, where its forces had been conducting operations. It said it would work with an inquiry ordered by President Hamid Karzai. Gen. David Petraeus, in a directive issued on Wednesday, emphasized the need to avoid civilian casualties. "Every Afghan civilian death diminishes our cause," he said. Mohammad Hassan, head of Nangarhar's Khogyani district, told news agencies that between 12 and 14 people had been killed in one incident. Villagers were carrying the body of a flood victim for burial in their home village when they were bombed by NATO planes, he told the Reuters news agency.