Investigation clears Canadian troops in the killing of Afghan children

According to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, the driver of the vehicle, which was transporting the children and their parents, failed to respond to warning signals as it approached the Canadian convoy.

It also found the soldiers involved "followed proper escalation of force procedures and acted within their rules of engagement during the incident."

A single round from a 25 millimetre cannon was fired into the speeding vehicle which came within 10 metres of the convoy.

"(The International Security Assistance Force) deeply regrets the accidental death of these two Afghan children," task force commander Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson said in a release issued Tuesday.

"Our thoughts continue to be with the family of the deceased during this difficult time."

Four-year-old Maraka and two-year-old Tor Jan were killed July 27 in the Panjwaii district southwest of Kandahar City.

Military officials said at the time that the soldiers involved flashed the lights on their vehicles, made hand gestures and issued audio warnings for the vehicle to pull over before they fired.

The gunner pulled the trigger fearing the approaching vehicle might have been planning a suicide attack.

The military said it regularly reviews its procedures in an effort to avoid harming civilians.

"ISAF soldiers are trained to take all appropriate steps to minimize civilian casualties," the release said.

"However, they are authorized to take action to protect themselves when they believe their lives are being threatened."

The coalition runs frequent public service announcements and advertising campaigns aimed at keeping locals informed about what to do when they see a military convoy.

Civilian deaths have become a mounting concern, particularly in the wake of a massive U.S. air strike in Herat province that killed 90 civilians including 60 women and children.

While Human Rights Watch says 434 civilians were killed in Afghanistan by coalition air strikes and ground fire in 2007, Canadian troops are responsible for a very small fraction of those incidents.

In a recent interview with The Canadian Press, the children's father Ruzi Mohammed said he has spoken with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Canadian officials from the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team about financial compensation for the mistake.

Doing so, however, drew the attention of the Taliban. Insurgent threats have since driven Ruzi and his wife out of their home in Panjwaii.

Now forced to rent a small house in Kandahar City for 4,000 afghanis, or $90 Cdn a month, Ruzi expressed frustration with the amount of time it's taking to get full compensation.

The military has said it takes time because handing over a pile of cash would have put his life in danger. Instead, a representative from the PRT helped him open a bank account and the money is being deposited in four instalments.

The military wouldn't reveal the amount of the settlement.