A civilian shooting in Afghanistan on Tuesday by Canadian troops is highlighting an ongoing push to have local authorities handle security for foreign military convoys.
On Tuesday, an Afghan male driving a white Toyota approached Canadian soldiers as they formed a security cordon around a broken-down armoured vehicle.
Army spokesperson Maj. Dale MacEachern said the driver of the vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop and was shot dead after accelerating in the direction of the troops.
Tuesday's shooting is the fourth time this month that troops have shot dead an Afghan civilian.
Abdul Quadar Noorzai, the regional program manager of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, is pushing to have Afghan authorities handle security on convoys.
Although the Afghan National Police did have a checkpoint at the site of Tuesday's incident, Noorzai said that foreign troops, Afghan forces and civilians are not co-ordinated well enough.
Noorzai told the Canadian Press that it would be "better to let Afghan Army or Afghan police handle security on convoys. If they were to let the chief of police know when they are moving between places, it would be great."
Last Friday, Kandahar police chief Asmatullah Alizai put forward the proposal in a meeting with Canadian military officers.
However, such a move would require Canadians to disclose convoy times and routes with Afghan authorities.
The idea is getting "serious consideration" but it makes the military nervous because of security concerns, MacEachern told CP.
Just last week, Canadian Forces ordered troops to use more restraint before firing to avoid the unintentional killing of civilians.
In a separate incident Tuesday, a militant with explosives strapped to his chest blew himself up on a crowded street, injuring three bystanders. No Canadian troops were in the area.
Canada has about 2,500 soldiers based in Afghanistan, mostly in the Kandahar region. Since the mission began in 2002, 44 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.
With files from the Canadian Press
