KABUL — The U.S.-led coalition says its forces accidentally killed two Afghan boys during an operation in southern Afghanistan.
Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the commander of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, offered his "personal apology and condolences to the family of the boys who were killed" and said the coalition takes full responsibility for the deaths.
A statement issued by the coalition says the boys were killed Thursday when coalition forces fired at what they thought were insurgent forces in the Shahid-e Hasas district of Uruzgan province.
It says a joint Afghan-NATO investigation team visited the location Saturday and met with local leaders.
The killing of civilians by foreign forces has been a major source of tension with the Afghan government throughout the nearly 12-year-old war.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.